Ramadan 2024: How Daylight Saving Time Impacts Muslim Fasting Schedules

Lubna Turaani, a 26-year-old nurse and student in Virginia, has been meticulously planning for weeks. She knows the arrival of Daylight Saving Time halfway through Ramadan will require a swift recalibration of her routine. She’s temporarily canceled her gym membership and mapped out specific meals to break her fast, a level of preparation mirrored by millions of American Muslims this year.

Ramadan is expected to begin around February 17 and continue through mid-March. This timing places the annual observance in direct conflict with the U.S. Spring forward on March 8, creating an unusual challenge for those observing the month of fasting. The shift will disrupt daily routines for families, workers, and students.

The Islamic calendar is lunar, based on the cycles of the moon, differing from the Gregorian calendar used globally for civil purposes. Imam Farhan Siddiqi, Resident Imam at Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Virginia, explained that the lunar calendar is approximately 10 days shorter than the solar calendar. “The [lunar calendar] translates to about 10 days less than the solar calendar. Because it’s 10 days shorter, the months are going to shift 10 days every single year,” he said.

This means Ramadan cycles through all seasons over roughly 33 years, sometimes coinciding with long summer days and late sunsets, and other times with shorter winter fasts. In 2026, Ramadan falls in late winter and early spring for the Northern Hemisphere, typically a moderate fasting period. However, Daylight Saving Time introduces a complication.

The change is straightforward but significant. In New York City, for the first half of Ramadan, the evening meal – iftar – might occur around 5:45 p.m. Sunset time gradually shifts to 5:54 p.m. By March 7. But after Daylight Saving Time begins on March 8, that same sunset will occur at 6:55 p.m. The length of the fast remains the same, but all associated timings – dinner, the pre-dawn meal, evening prayers, family time, and sleep – are shifted by an hour.

During Ramadan, practicing Muslims abstain from food and water from dawn until sunset, typically for 12 to 15 hours depending on location. As spring approaches, days naturally lengthen, making the fasts progressively longer. The time change uniquely challenges established routines tied to clock time.

The disruption primarily affects Muslims across most of the United States and Canada. The impact is most pronounced in the continental U.S. (excluding Arizona and Hawaii, which do not observe Daylight Saving Time) and most of Canada (excluding parts of Saskatchewan, Yukon, and some regions of British Columbia and Quebec). Parts of Europe that observe summer time will not experience the shift this year, as their clocks change on March 29 – after Ramadan concludes. Muslims in regions without Daylight Saving Time, including Arizona, Hawaii, most of the Middle East, and large parts of Asia and Africa, will not experience this mid-Ramadan shift.

The impact of the disruption varies. Imam Abdul-Malik Merchant, program director at Hearts Together Foundation, a Muslim-run nonprofit, believes the shift will be minimal for many. “For the vast majority of people, I don’t feel it’s going to [mean] anything,” he said, adding that by the time the change occurs, “you’ve already gone through 20 days, your body’s well accustomed to fasting by then.”

Aseel Hasan, a 29-year-old mother in Cincinnati who is six months pregnant, approaches the time change with pragmatism and determination. While pregnant and breastfeeding women are exempt from fasting in Islam, Hasan intends to fast this Ramadan. “I don’t feel spiritually fully connected if I’m not fasting,” she said. She anticipates needing to prioritize hydration and energy levels to manage her toddler and daily schedule.

Turaani, balancing an irregular work schedule with full-time studies, plans to dedicate her off-days to cooking and cleaning, meal prepping, and relying on her husband’s support. “I haven’t had to plan for cooking and cleaning as much as I’ve had to plan for my work and study schedule,” she said. She anticipates adjusting to the extra hour after her 7 p.m. Shifts finish once Daylight Saving Time takes effect. “I did account for the time change, and I decided for this Ramadan that I would take a date and soup with me to work.” She plans a small iftar at work, followed by a larger meal at home around 8 p.m.

Merchant, of Hearts Together, used a metaphor to describe the situation: “Maybe you’ve been training all year for a marathon and now there’s hills. Well, that’s a new variable and tests a new type of stamina that you didn’t realize you needed. The time change is a new variable that’s going to be a new opportunity to deepen our resolve and our devotion.”

For non-Muslims with family, coworkers, or neighbors observing Ramadan, understanding this shift can foster greater support during the second half of the month. A colleague who appeared fine in early March might seem more fatigued after the time change, not because the fasts are longer, but due to the disruption of sleep and evening routines. A friend who was available for dinner at 6:30 p.m. Might need to reschedule to 7:30 p.m. Or later.

Turaani suggests this adjustment could benefit both parties, encouraging greater thoughtfulness. “It’s nice to experience every time I break my fast because it’s a quality reminder about anything in life,” she said, comparing it to perseverance in times of hardship. “I recommend for [non-Muslims] to try it as much as they’re able to, just to experience the beauty of it.”

Imam Siddiqi views Ramadan as a catalyst for spiritual renewal. “We treat Ramadan as a springboard,” he said. “It’s actually a catalyst that gives us that spiritual energy to continue the rest of the year. It’s very much like a devotional retreat, and it’s an opportunity for us to renew our relationship with God.”