RAMADAN, ra-ma-din', or ram-a-dan', the ninth month in the Mohammedan calendar, has 30 days. Since the Mohammedan year is a lunar one, Ramadan comes at all the seasons, being eleven days earlier each year. In about 33 years the month has made a complete cycle of the year. Ramadan is important chiefly because it is supposed to be the month in which Moham med received his divine revelation and is there fore made a month of solemn observance among the faithful. During the 30 days the true believer abstains, between dawn and sunset, from all eating, drinking, smoking; bathing and all other delights of the body are likewise for bidden. The more devout of the Mohammedans remain behind closed blinds during the day and devote themselves to prayer and to reading the Koran, and particularly Sura, in the second book of which are found the references to the fast of Ramadan. There are special prayers, 20 in number, which during this month are added to the usual evening prayers, repeated at dusk by the true believer. Ramadan is also the month in which the Turkish government usually takes occasion to institute reforms, or to promise to institute them, apparently to cur tail the national expenses and lighten the tax burden and generally to undertake those meas ures tiat tend to popularize the government with its subjects.
The fast of Ramadan terminates each day with nightfall, and as the Mohammedan keeps the letter rather than the spirit of the law of the Koran, the nights of this month are filled with feasting, the more joyous because of the abstinence during the day. These repasts often. become wild revels, or even flagrant debauches,. which last until daylight, when the glutted participants once more betake themselves to fasting and prayer. Following the fast of Rama dan for three days there is celebrated the feast of the Lesser Beirant, during which all labor ceases and the Mohammedans give themselves to all sorts of table enjoyments. Consult Huart, C. I., des Arabes) (Paris 1912).