Hijri New Year (Islam)

The Islamic calendar begins in the year 622 C.E., and is known as the Hijri calendar. It is a lunar rather than a solar calendar, and therefore depends on the sighting of the new moon or crescent to determine the start of each month. As such, Islamic observances are not tied to any season or time of the year, but rather to the event itself. This also assures that with the variations in temperature and length of the day, such observances as Ramadan are shared in an equal manner by different locations around the world.