Module 006 · Cultural Intelligence
Ramadan & the Moon
The Islamic calendar is purely lunar — 354 days, 11 shorter than the Gregorian year. Ramadan drifts backward through the seasons, completing a full rotation every 33 years. The crescent moon begins it. The crescent moon ends it.
354
Days in lunar year
11
Day annual drift
33
Years full cycle
30 Nights of Ramadan
From crescent to crescent
The 33-Year Rotation
Ramadan drifts 11 days earlier each year. In one lifetime, you fast in every season.
Hover a year to see fasting conditions
What Fasting Feels Like
Fasting hours in Marrakech, by year
Hours from fajr (dawn) to maghrib (sunset) in Marrakech. No food. No water.
A lunar year is 354 days. A solar year is 365. The 11-day gap means Ramadan walks backward through the calendar. In 33 years, it completes the circle.
Someone born in 1990 has already fasted in every season.
The Crescent (Hilal)
Ramadan begins when the new crescent is sighted after sunset. Different countries may start on different days — some follow local sighting, others follow Mecca.
Laylat al-Qadr
The Night of Power — when the Quran was first revealed. Sought on the odd nights of the last 10 days (21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, 29th). Marked in gold above.
Eid al-Fitr
The festival of breaking the fast. Begins at the sighting of the next new crescent — the 1st of Shawwal. Three days of celebration.
Sources & Methodology
Ramadan start dates based on Umm al-Qura calendar and historical Islamic calendar data. Fasting hours calculated for Marrakech (31.63°N) from astronomical fajr to maghrib. Temperatures are historical monthly averages from Marrakech-Menara weather station. Moon illumination calculated using sinusoidal approximation of the 29.53-day synodic month.
© 2026 Dancing with Lions. All rights reserved. This visualization may not be reproduced without visible attribution.
© Dancing with Lions