Dates, holidays... Everything you need to know about Ramadan 2025

Ramadan could begin at the end of the week. Muslims in France are preparing to enter the holiest month of Islam. But the exact dates of the start and end of the fast, which depend on the phases of the moon, are not yet known. Night of Doubt, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Kebir... BFMTV.com takes a look at the highlights to come.

The Night of Doubt will take place on the evening of Friday, February 28 to Saturday, March 1, announced the Grand Mosque of Paris. in a press release . The night of doubt is one of the key moments of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. It marks the beginning of the fasting period.

For this, a "religious commission will take into consideration the visual observations of the new moon as well as the results of astronomical calculations". Because it is the observation of a new crescent moon that marks the beginning of Ramadan. It could thus begin as early as this Saturday, March 1. But if the moon is not observed, Ramadan will not begin until this Sunday, March 2.

Ramadan is considered one of the five pillars of Islam, along with prayer, almsgiving, the pilgrimage to Mecca and the profession of faith. While it is associated with fasting from sunrise to sunset, Ramadan is also and above all a month of contemplation, solidarity and sharing, marked by prayer and generosity towards the needy.

A second night of doubt should be held on March 29 - this second night of doubt takes place after the 29th day of the month of Ramadan. But a shift of one day is possible. It will determine the end of the month of fasting and the beginning of Eid al-Fitr, this festival that celebrates the end of Ramadan. Eid al-Fitr always takes place the day after the last day of fasting.

It is once again the observation of the sky and the position of a new crescent moon that will allow us to determine this date. If this crescent moon is visible, the new month will begin the next day and it is the end of Ramadan. Otherwise, it will be extended by one more day. The end of Ramadan could this year fall on March 31 or April 1.

Eid al-Fitr is also nicknamed "the small festival" as opposed to Eid al-Kebir, or Eid al-Adha, referred to as "the big festival" or "great Eid". It is the most important festival for Muslims. It takes place in the last month of the Muslim calendar, seventy days after the end of Ramadan.

This festival commemorates an episode in the Koran, when God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael to test his faith. But the archangel Gabriel stops his gesture and substitutes a sheep for the child. This festival also symbolizes the end of the pilgrimage to Mecca.

The dates of Ramadan are moved back by about ten days each year due to the lunar Islamic calendar. The cycles of the moon, which determine the months, are shorter. That is, about ten to twelve days less than the solar Gregorian calendar.