Dubai: Forward planning is human nature.
Whether it has to do with summer holidays, religious festivals or even the start of the academic school year, most people like to stay ahead of the game and have an idea on what dates such events will fall.
This week, residents on social networking sites flagged the year 2030 for having two Ramadans — one at the start of January and the second at the end of December.
When looking at the Saudi Arabian calendar for 2030 on the website timeanddate.com, it explained that Ramadan is likely to be observed on January 6, followed by Eid Al Fitr on February 5.
By the end of the year, Ramadan is expected to fall again on December 26.
Early Muslims observed the start of Ramadan by sighting the new moon with the naked eye, and the practice still continues to this day.
How it works
Hassan Ahmed Al Hariri, chief executive officer of the Dubai Astronomy Group, told Gulf News that observing two Ramadans in one year should not be considered a phenomenon as the lunar month moves forward by 11 days every year.
“The solar calendar and the lunar calendar run separately from each other, and are different. The solar one is fixed with the sun, while the lunar calendar is always 11 days shorter. So having two Ramadans is a natural result of having two different calendars,” Al Hariri pointed out.
“Calendars were invented by humans so we could use it as a benchmark and to count the time. People should see the two Ramadans as a natural thing,” he said.
Looking back at the 2012 so-called "apocalypse" that was allegedly predicted by the ancient Mayan civilisation, Hariri explained that calendars are used to only serve the purpose for what they were intended.
“The Mayan civilisation created a calendar that ended on December 21, 2012. While many people created some kind of hysteria about the situation, and claimed that the world was going to end, it was not a big deal. In fact, it just meant that the numbers went back to zero.”
