Hijri New Year -The Islamic New Year

The Hijri New Year, also known as Islamic New Year is the day that marks the beginning of a new Islamic calendar year, and is the day on which the year count is incremented.

The first day of the year is observed on the first day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar. The first Islamic year beginning in 610 AD during which the emigration of Prophet Muhammad(S.A.W) from Mecca to Medina, known as the Hijra.

While some Islamic organisations prefer determining the new month (and hence the new year) by local sightings of the moon, most Islamic institutions and countries, including Saudi Arabia, follow astronomical calculations to determine future dates of the Islamic calendar.

The Islamic year lasts for about 354 days and consists of 12 months. Muharram is the first month and some Muslims mark the start of the Islamic year on the first day of Muharram. Many Muslims fast during daylight hours on the ninth and 10th or 10th and 11th days of the month to mark the Day of Ashura (Yaumu-l 'Ashurah). This is the anniversary of the death of Husayn ibn Ali, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammed.

The Islamic New Year 1434 H./2013 is expected to fall on or around November 4, 2013.

Note: The exact dates of Islamic holidays cannot be determined in advance, due to the nature of the Islamic lunar calendar. Estimates are based on expected visibility of the hilal (waxing crescent moon following a new moon) and may vary according to location.

The crescent Moon may be visible a day or so after the new Moon, but weather and other factors may delay the sighting.