Which year will Ramadan be twice?

A Rare Calendar Phenomenon in 2030

If you take a look at the upcoming calendar for 2030, you might notice something truly unusual: the holy month of Ramadan will occur twice in a single year. The first period of fasting will begin on January 4, 2030, while the second will start near the very end of the year on December 26, 2030.

This double occurrence comes down to the fundamental difference between two calendar systems. While the standard civil calendar is solar, the Islamic calendar is strictly lunar. Because a lunar year is roughly 10 to 11 days shorter than a Gregorian solar year, Islamic dates gradually cycle backward through the solar calendar over time.

Every few decades, this shift causes the start of Ramadan to fall at the very beginning of January, leaving just enough room for the subsequent Ramadan to begin before December ends. This alignment is quite rare—the last time it took place was in 1997, and after 2030, it will not happen again until 2063.