This year’s Ramadan will start early on the Gregorian calendar but late on the lunar month of Sha‘ban. This will cause some countries to declare Wednesday, February 18, 2026, as the first day of fasting, while others will start on Thursday, February 19. For most Muslim communities in Asia, including India, Indonesia, and parts of Southeast Asia, Ramadan will practically begin on February 19. Meanwhile, several Gulf states, led by Saudi Arabia, declared the first fast on February 18, following a moon sighting by one of their official moon sighting committees.

What made 2026’s sighting dicey?
In the days leading up to February 17, astronomers warned that the new moon's geometry would make it nearly impossible to see with the naked eye from countless locations around the globe. The moon would be very young and very low above the western horizon after sunset, making reliable sightings very unlikely. This past week, several national committees reported “not sighted” and began the counting from February 19, while others, with several local reports, announced the moon to be sighted on February 18. In Saudi Arabia, the Supreme Court invited people to sight the moon and report to local courts; however, Gulf astronomers had already warned that the crescent would be impossible to see from many Arab countries on that evening.
In addition to this year's procedural discussion, Ramadan 2026 is historically significant due to its occurrence within the Northern Hemisphere winter months. This will be the first time Ramadan has been completely in winter since the 1990s, so meteorological considerations are significant here. Winter shifts are easier due to shorter and milder days, and fasting winter days are easier due to shorter hours of daylight.

When will Ramadan be in summer again?

With Ramadan 2026 taking place in the winter in the Northern Hemisphere, when will we experience peak summer? As the Islamic and Gregorian calendars differ, Ramadan moves earlier in the Gregorian calendar and will eventually fall in every season over an estimated 33-year cycle. Ramadan last occurred in peak summer between 2013 and 2016. During those years, Muslims in India, Saudi Arabia, and the UK were subject to the longest fasting hours. With Ramadan occurring in winter (February 2026), Ramadan will continue to fall earlier in the years to January, then December, and then Autumn. From Autumn, it will continue to progress to spring and then eventually to peak summer. In the late 2040s, around 2047 to 2049, depending on moon sightings and local calendar adjustments, Ramadan is expected to return to peak summer conditions based on the 33-year lunar cycle.

Why Muslims celebrate Ramadan

To Muslims, Ramadan encompasses the whole month in which the first verses of the Qur’an were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century in Mecca. It is said that the Prophet received the first verses of the Qur’an while at spiritual retreat in the Cave of Hira and received words of guidance from the Angel Jibreel (Gabriel). He received the command “Iqra” (Read/Recite). This incident is believed to be the turning point of divine revelations and the beginning of Islam. Ramadan is to remember and commemorate the guidance and revelations from God. In Islam, the act of fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars and is one of the most important acts of worship. Muslims from all over the world fast from dawn until sunset during the entire month of Ramadan. It is not considered punishment to cease the daily rituals of eating and drinking. It is considered to be an act of discipline. The fast is meant to cultivate taqwa (which is translated as "God-consciousness"). Stepping away from daily comforts reminds the believer of the vulnerability of the weaker human being and gives an understanding and empathetic feeling for those who live with hunger daily. In the month of Ramadan Muslims observe and remember the weaker human being, it becomes a month of moral reset. People consciously try to avoid gossip, anger and negativity, replacing them with patience, prayer and generosity

Ramadan is also believed to contain Laylat al-Qadr, or the Night of Power, described in the Qur’an as “better than a thousand months.” It is said to be the night when the first revelation descended, it is believed that anything that you wish during the Night of Decree will be granted. Interestingly, no one knows when that night falls believers spend all those 10 nights awake, engrossed in prayers, hoping to witness it.

But alongside the devotion, homes glow later into the night, kitchens become places of shared stories and laughter, and communities gather for iftar meals with exquisite dishes. Mosques fill for special nightly prayers. And as the month progresses, the mood subtly shifts toward anticipation, conversations turn to Eid plans, children start asking about new clothes, families draw up shopping lists, and markets light up with festive sales and lights.

Why the dates differ this time
Just before the night everyone expected to see the crescent moon, news outlets and social media were buzzing with headlines saying it couldn't be spotted anywhere. This claim was partly true. Astronomers pointed out that in many locations, the crescent was too new and too low on the horizon, making it nearly impossible to observe. Meanwhile, official committees in the Gulf, like those in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, and more, reported successful sightings or gave confirmations that led them to mark February 18 as significant. On the flip side, other countries and some national committees, like Turkey, Oman, Egypt, Morocco, and more, didn't see it and chose February 19 instead.