New Delhi, Feb. 19 -- In an extraordinary celestial event, the first day of Ramadan (also spelled as Ramzan/Ramzaan/Ramazan) in 2025 will fall precisely on March 1, marking a rare alignment between the Hijri or Islamic lunar calendar and the Gregorian calendar. It is a phenomenon that only occurs once every 33 years and this unique synchronization, as noted by Eng. Majed Abu Zahra, President of the Jeddah Astronomical Society, is a testament to the intricate interplay between lunar and solar cycles.

Unlike the familiar Gregorian calendar, which follows the Earth's orbit around the sun and consists of 365 (or 366 in a leap year) days, the Hijri calendar is based on the phases of the moon or the lunar cycle. Each Hijri month begins with th...