Ramadan begins (at sundown)

June 6 July 5. Begins on Islamic lunar calendar date Ramadan 1, 1437. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is holy because it was during this month that the Holy Quran (Koran) was revealed. All adults of sound body and mind fast from dawn (before sunrise) until sunset to achieve spiritual and physical purification and self-discipline, abstaining from food, drink and intimate relations. It is a time for feeling a common bond with people who are poor and needy, a time of piety and prayer. Different methods for anticipating the visibility of the new moon crescent at Mecca are used by different Muslim groups.