Ramadan is a major television event in the Middle East

Visa data shows Muslim spending spikes at night during Ramadan

Fasting during the day reschedules economic activity to the night. Visa's spending data shows a surge in Muslim-majority markets during Ramadan at night as restaurants and retailers orient themselves around iftar. The pattern has become a significant target for advertisers and brands.

Ramadan tends to reduce Gulf productivity, but increases reported happiness

Economists have documented a measurable dip in productivity and output in Muslim-majority countries during Ramadan. But surveys consistently show the opposite on subjective well-being, with people reporting they feel better and more connected.

UK's Royal Astronomers join the hunt for Ramadan's crescent moon

In Britain, Muslim communities and professional astronomers now collaborate to officially spot the moon that begins Ramadan, blending ancient practice with modern science. The partnership culminates in a live, unscripted annual broadcast even.

Ramadan will be celebrated twice in 2030 due to the 33-year lunar cycle

Because the Islamic year is 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, Ramadan migrates through every season over a 33-year cycle. In 2030, it will fall twice in the same Gregorian year.

Muslims fasting in Iceland face more than 20 hours of daylight during summer Ramadan

In countries near the Arctic Circle, Ramadan's rule of fasting from sunrise to sunset can cause some unique challenges for the extended periods of daylight in the region. Icelandic Muslims have developed pragmatic workarounds—some follow the hours of Mecca, others adjust locally. It's an edge case that illuminates how a 7th-century practice gets negotiated across radically different geographies.

A 101 on why Ramadan is the holiest time of the Muslim year

As a spiritual guide for members of the Brandeis University community, this overview surfaces the highlights to orient readers on Ramadan logistics, practices, and obligations. It's a useful start for those interested in learning the basics around fasting rules, exemptions, the significance of iftar and suhoor, and common greetings.

Tarawih: the special night prayers during Ramadan

Beyond fasting, Ramadan nights have their own distinct ritual: Tarawih, an extended voluntary prayer performed after Isha, the standard final of five daily prayer times. Communities read through the entire Quran over the course of the month alongside these Tarawih prayers.

A diary of fasting through all 30 days of Ramadan

Aramco World's first-person account follows one Muslim through a full month of fasting—the pre-dawn suhoor meal, the hunger wall, the social texture of iftar. Get a sense of the day-to-day of Ramadan with this experiential guide.

Ramadan moon-sighting can spark intra-family disputes

Because different communities—and even different members of the same family—follow different methods for confirming the crescent, Ramadan doesn't always start on the same day for everyone. The result: "moon wars" that pit parents against children, and mosques against each other, on when exactly the fast begins.

Nearly 70% of Muslim Americans always donate to charity during Ramadan

Zakat, one of the core pillars of Islam, directs Muslims to redistribute their wealth and give to the poor. This pillar is commonly honored during Ramadan and likely motivated by the practice of fasting, which encourages gratitude and compassion for those who are less fortunate. Other spikes in charitable giving are seen during the holiday of Eid al-Adha and at the end of the financial year.

How to sight the new crescent moon that starts Ramadan

Ramadan doesn't begin on a fixed date. Instead, it begins when a crescent moon is visually confirmed. The Royal Museums Greenwich explains the astronomy behind the sighting, including the conditions that must be met: the sun must be below the horizon, the moon must be above it, and the two must not be within the Danjon Limit (roughly 5 to 7 degrees of separation in the sky, as shown below).

The Five Pillars of Islam, explained through Islamic art at the Met

Fasting during Ramadan—known as sawm—is one of five foundational practices that define Muslim life. The Met uses art objects to illuminate the pillars to make the theology more tangible. Ramadan's fast is interwoven with this broader framework of prayer, charity, pilgrimage, and expressions of faith.

Laylat al-Qadr: the single Islamic night 'holier than a thousand months'

Toward the end of Ramadan, Laylat al-Qadr is observed, recalling Muhammad's "night of power" when the Quran was first revealed, according to Islamic tradition. The Quran describes it as better than a thousand months of worship. Its exact date differs between Sunni and Shia adherents, falling on the 27th night of the month for Sunnis and the 23rd for Shias.

Iftar foods from around the world

The global population of Muslims eats and fasts in distinct way around the world. This photo survey spans Morocco's harira soup to Indonesia's kolak (a sweet dessert soup) and Turkey's pide (like pizza but without the tomato sauce). The one universal aspect for most iftar meals is dates and water, following Muhammad's practice. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

London Mayor Sadiq Khan on why iftar at someone else's table is the whole point

The podcast "Not Even Water" interviews Khan about how Ramadan is actually lived, examining the hospitality culture that surrounds iftar, the logistics of suhoor, and what the month feels like from the inside. The episode is a grounded, personal view of the season.

Eid ul-Fitr vs. Eid ul-Adha: differentiating the two lesser and greater Eids

Most non-Muslims associated Eid with the end of Ramadan—but that's actually the lesser Eid. The greater one, Eid ul-Adha, comes 70 days later and commemorates Ibrahim's (Abraham) willingness to sacrifice his son. It involves Qurbani, the ritual slaughter of an animal, with meat distributed to those in need.

In 1995, Hakeem Olajuwon won NBA Player of the Month while fasting

When Ramadan began on February 1, 1994, Olajuwon fasted every day of the month while playing for the Houston Rockets. He still won Player of the Month. His story is a fascinating look on how world-class athletes stay competitive while observing their religious obligations.

A readable narrative account of how Muhammad first received the Quran

The story behind Ramadan's origins involves a lesser-known layer of personal drama for Muhammad, who fled the Cave of Hira in fear thinking he had been possessed by the angel communicating with him. Only his wife, Khadijah, was able to reassure him. The first revelation came during Ramadan in 610 CE, but the full Quran took 23 years for the angel Jibril (or Gabriel) to deliver.

Mapping the Middle East showing Sunni and Shia populations by country

France24's interactive visualization shows where each branch of Islam predominates across the region, from Iran's Shia majority to Saudi Arabia's Sunni dominance. The map helps make Middle Eastern politics (and conflicts) more legible.

What is Captagon, the addictive drug mass-produced in Syria?

Diplomatic discussions among Arab countries have recently featured Captagon – the addictive, amphetamine-type stimulant mass-produced in Syria and smuggled to the Gulf states. Relatively unknown outside of the Middle East, Captagon was once the...

Look up the date of any Islamic holiday going back to 622 CE

The US Naval Observatory's calculator converts Hijri calendar dates to Gregorian and vice versa, covering Islamic holidays from the first year of the Islamic calendar through the present. The resource helps show how much Ramadan's dates shift year over year and allows readers to find out when Ramadan would have fallen in a certain year.

Soaps often air every day, leading to frantic production schedules

Unlike more typical primetime or streaming shows, soap operas often air every weekday. That means writers and actors often work every day to complete a new episode, making for a grueling schedule. It also explains why some of the dialogue and performances might seem a bit off-the-cuff.

Is there an arms race in the Middle East?

In 2021, countries in the Middle East spent $168 billion on weapons. Defense spending in the Middle East has been falling in the last few years, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that the region is de-militarizing. In 2021, Saudi Arabia spent $55...

The 1979 Iranian Revolution inspired other Islamist movements and alarmed Sunni governments

By establishing the world's first modern Islamic theocracy, the revolution inspired Islamist movements across the region and alarmed Sunni Arab governments. The resulting rivalry between Shia Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia has since fueled proxy conflicts in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen that persist today.

Drug trafficking in the MENA

The Middle East and North Africa is a major source, transit point, and consumer of illicit drugs. Despite having some of the harshest penalties for drug-related crimes, the region both influences and is negatively impacted by illicit substance abuse...

HBO is known for its adventurous original series

The premium network is known for groundbreaking shows like “The Sopranos,” “Sex and the City,” “The Wire,” “Game of Thrones,” Succession,” and more. Unlike traditional broadcast television, HBO shows were not bound by strict time limits, advertising, or FCC regulations, allowing for more creative freedom.

A survey of armed conflict in the Middle East

The decade following the Arab Spring has been one of bloodshed and violence in the Middle East. In 2011, protests in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, and Libya led to infighting and political fragmentation. Civil wars, foreign interventions, and the rise of...

See how the rivalry between Iran and Israel has remade the Middle East

This 2025 documentary explores how the relationship between Iran, Israel, and the United States has shaped Middle Eastern geopolitics for decades. The film covers events leading up to and following the 2025 12-day war involving these nations.

The Hajj

Some say soaps have been replaced by reality TV

Reality shows have much in common with soaps: massive melodrama, sweeping music cues, neverending plotlines, and a seemingly endless number of episodes. Some communications scholars suggest that’s why younger viewers are no longer interested in soap operas; reality programs provide the same content with the added appeal of being “real.”

The Middle East's cold war, explained

The Middle East is one of the most complex regions in the world, including a complicated web of conflicts and actors. Two countries, Saudi Arabia and Iran, have torn apart the region by supporting opposing sides in other countries and indirectly...

The Sunni-Shia divide has fueled conflict and rivalry throughout the Middle East for centuries

Islam's ancient sectarian split, rooted in a seventh-century dispute over succession following the Prophet Mohammed's death, has shaped modern geopolitics—most visibly in the proxy rivalry between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran, whose competition for regional dominance has inflamed conflicts across Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen.

A virtual tour of the Hajj pilgrimage

Over 2 million pilgrims travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, every year during the Hajj pilgrimage, a central tenet of the Islamic faith. The route traces one the Prophet Mohammed is said to have once walked, and involves challenging rituals including...

A full documentary on the origins of Islam narrated by Ben Kingsley

A rare feature-length treatment of Islam's founding that traces Muhammad's life from Mecca to the emergence of the religion. Narrated by the famed Gandhi-portraying actor Ben Kingsley, it brings production values to material that's often handled dryly in text—a good visual narrative option to the religion's origins.

The Super Bowl is televised in over 180 countries in nearly 25 languages

First aired in 1967 on two US networks, the Super Bowl became a global broadcast in 1982, drawing about 4.5 million viewers in England, and is now televised in more than 180 countries in roughly 25 languages.

The show follows a frantic production schedule

The show is pitched, written, and designed in a week. Tuesdays feature infamously long writing sessions that usually stretch into Wednesday mornings. Fridays include shooting for digital shorts and an initial run-through of live material. Before Saturday's live show, there's an extended dress rehearsal.

A podcast dramatization of the schism that split Islam into Sunni and Shia

The events following Muhammad's death were a bitter succession dispute that divided Islam into its two major branches. You can relive them in this dramatic narrative from the Conflicted History podcast, which provides an immersive entry point into the issue.

Most of Netflix's subscribers are outside the US

Accordingly, each year, Netflix releases an expansive slate of international shows and movies to subscribers worldwide, including hits that crossed over to the US, like "Squid Game."

How soap operas are being reimagined for the smartphone

Apps like ReelShort, FlickReels, and DramaBox purport to offer "micro dramas," but they strongly resemble soap operas, with serial melodramas about romance and murder. This NPR piece unpacks the trend, highlighting why this new format appeals to demographics that never connected with daytime soaps.

In recent years, Netflix has shifted away from scripted originals toward low-cost reality programming.

Saudi Arabia began investing in international sports in the mid-2010s

The country's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has argued that embracing sports and tourism will diversify the Saudi economy away from a dependency on oil. Critics argue the events are being used to distract from the regime's human rights violations.

How the Arab Spring engulfed the Middle East – and changed the world

The Arab Spring engulfed the Middle East, unleashing consequences that still shape the world today. In 2011, the Arab Spring began with protests in a small Tunisian city. Those protests led to an era of uprisings and civil war in the Arab world,...

Communal iftars are now a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage

The tradition of breaking fast together where strangers and families share a table at sundown has been recognized by the United Nations' cultural body as significant. The designation sheds light on iftar's social side, beyond just the food.

HBO Max's 'The Pitt' has found success with an old-school, broadcast-TV production model that harkens back to weekly dramas that mostly disappeared during the streaming era.

The world's largest restaurant is the size of 10 football fields

The Bawabet Dimashq Restaurant in Damascus, Syria, has held the Guinness World Record for largest restaurant since 2008. It can seat 6,014 guests and employs nearly 1,800 people, who serve up an eclectic menu of Middle Eastern Indian, Arab, Iranian, Syrian, and Chinese dishes.

Countries that celebrate Easter

Easter is observed as a national holiday in more than 95 countries, with traditions varying wildly—from water fights in Hungary to crime novel reading in Norway—reflecting how thoroughly Christian practice has mixed with local culture.

Breaking down what makes HBO different

The network took an early gamble on longer episodes and more complicated narratives than a standard television drama. That paid off and, in the process, created what we now consider "prestige TV."

A millennial's guide to American Hanukkah specials

The 1990s and early 2000s were a boom time for television specials, including dozens of Hanukkah specials. See classics like Adam Sandler's "Chanukah Song" on "SNL" or the special "Rugrats" episode for the holiday.

Unique Hanukkah traditions exist globally, thanks to the global spread of Judaism

In Mexico, they smash dreidel-shaped piñatas, while in Morocco, children make bonfires from the leftover candles. And in Tunisia, Hanukkah overlaps with the Festival of Daughters, during which women are freed from doing any labor and gather to snack on doughnuts and honey cookies.

Over time, the World Cup became a TV powerhouse, generating massive revenue from broadcast rights and ad placements.