Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Oct 06, 2025

Islamic New Year and the different calendars around the world

Islamic New Year and the different calendars around the world

The arrival of the new crescent moon marks the start of the year 1444 on the Islamic lunar calendar.

July 30 is Islamic – or Hijri – New Year’s Day and marks the start of the year 1444.

The Hijri calendar, which comes from the Arabic word “hijra”, is named for the migration of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina more than 1,400 years ago.

The 12 Hijri calendar months are determined by the sighting of the new moon. The first month is Muharram and the last is Dhul-Hijjah.

The Hijri calendar is used to mark important dates for Muslims such as the beginning of the fasting month of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr at the end of it, and the start of the Hajj pilgrimage and Eid al-Adha.


How old are you according to the Hijri calendar?


A Hijri month alternates between 29 and 30 days. This makes a Hijri year about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian, with one year coming to 354-355 days.

So your Hijri age may be different from your Gregorian age. Here’s how to calculate it:

*  If you’re younger than 16: Your Hijri age is the same as your Gregorian age
*  If you’re between 16 and 48: Add one year to your current Gregorian age
*  If you’re between 49 and 81: Add two years to your age
*  If you’re older than 81: Add three years to your age


Other calendars around the world


Many religions and cultures use calendars other than the Gregorian – which is the most widely used calendar today.

The Gregorian calendar was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification to the Julian calendar, named after Julius Caesar, leader of ancient Rome.

The Gregorian and Julian calendars are both 12-month solar calendars based on the time it takes the Earth to complete one revolution around the Sun – a bit more than 365 days.

Other types of calendars include the lunar, lunisolar and fixed calendars.

A lunar year is 12 lunar months, each measuring the time it takes the moon to pass through its phases, i.e. new moon, half moon and full moon.

A lunar month is about 29.5 days long and a lunar year is approximately 354 days. This means that every 33 years, there is a one-year lag between solar and lunar calendars.

A lunisolar year incorporates both lunar and solar characteristics, where the year is divided according to the phases of the moon, but adjusted to correlate with the solar cycle length. Lunisolar calendars include the Buddhist, Chinese, Hindu, Jewish, Korean and Tibetan calendars.


Other New Year celebrations this year


The following dates are some new years from different religions and cultures in 2022.

Gregorian New Year – The Gregorian calendar begins on January 1 every year and is currently in the year 2022.

Lunar New Year – Also known as Chinese New Year. This calendar uses a lunisolar system. The new year is marked on January 22 and China usually celebrates for 15 days. 2022 in the Chinese calendar is the Year of the Dog.

Sikh New Year – The Nanakshahi calendar derives its name from the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak. The new year is marked on March 14.

Persian New Year – Also known as Nowruz. The Persian calendar is solar, with the new year beginning on March 21.

Hindu New Year – Is on April 1 and is based on the Vikram Samvat lunisolar calendar, which is used across the Indian subcontinent. It is usually 57 years ahead of the Gregorian calendar.

Thai New Year
– Also known as Songkran, this is the biggest of Thailand’s annual festivals and is celebrated on April 13 every year. It follows a solar calendar system.

Jewish New Year – The traditional Jewish lunisolar calendar begins on Rosh Hashanah. This year it will be marked on September 25, however, the date varies according to the Jewish months.


Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Syria Holds First Elections Since Fall of Assad
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
×