In Saudi Arabia they saw the newborn month and announced the beginning of Ramadan on February 18

Observers from Jordan, Iraq, and the Palestinian Authority also reported the start of Ramadan celebrations on February 18. The moon was not visible in Syria, Indonesia, Turkey, Oman, Singapore and Brunei. In these countries, the holiday will begin to be celebrated on Thursday, February 19.

Islam uses a lunar calendar, the year consists of 12 months and is 354 or 355 days. However, the beginning of Ramadan is determined not only by astronomical calculations, but also by observations of the moon – on the eve of its onset, a newborn crescent moon should be visible in the sky.

Along with recognizing Allah as the only god and Muhammad as his prophet, pilgrimage to Mecca, five daily prayers and paying a charity tax, Ramadan, the month of spiritual purification, constitutes the five pillars of Islam.

During this month, believers abstain from eating and drinking, smoking, and engaging in intimate relationships during the daytime. Children, old people, the sick and infirm, travelers are exempt from these duties – just like pregnant women and nursing mothers, if fasting threatens the child.