Muslim New Year

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Muslim New Year is a cultural event which some Muslims partake on the first day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic Calendar. Although there is no religious significance attached to this day, many Muslims use the day to remember the life of the Prophet Muhammad and the Hijra, or emigration, he made to the city now known as Medina. Recently, in many areas of Muslim population, people have begun exchanging cards and gifts on this day.

However, not all Muslims partake of this event. Shia Muslims do not partake in such activities since the month is observed as a month of mourning in honor of Imam Hussain, who was martyred in the Battle of Karbala on Muharram 10th. Sunni Muslims believe that this is the day that the first Caliph Abu Bakr died.

Since the Islamic lunar calendar year is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year, Muharram migrates throughout the seasons. The estimated start dates for Muharram are as follows (all future dates are estimates and depend on sightings of the new moon), though strictly speaking the month starts at sunset on the previous day:

• 1423 AH: 15 March 2002
• 1424 AH: 4 March 2003
• 1425 AH: 21 February 2004
• 1426 AH: 11 February 2005
• 1427 AH: 31 January 2006
• 1428 AH: 20 January 2007
• 1429 AH: 10 January 2008
• 1430 AH: 29 December 2008
• 1431 AH: 18 December 2009
• 1432 AH: 7 December 2010
• 1433 AH: 26 November 2011
• 1434 AH: 15 November 2012

[edit] See also

• Festival of Muharram

[edit] External links

• Dates of the Muslim New Year (Muharram) until 2010
• Significance of Islamic New Year in Shi'ism
• Al-Hijra (BBC Religion) with dates