When I first heard the words “Islamic Lunar Calendar” I assumed it was a calendar that showed the phases of the moon. After some research, I learned this calendar consisted of much more than I thought. The calendar consists of the 12 lunar months which determines the right days for the holidays. Each day of the week has a different meaning. For example, Friday is considered “the gathering” and Saturday is considered the “rest”. The months follow this same concept. For example on of the months is named “Safar” which means void. Four out of these 12 months is shown to be “sacred”.The number of days in the months are determined by the conditions, the position of the Earth, and how well the moon is seen.
The calendar adds all of the Islamic holidays that many countries follow. Specifically Iraq, Jordan, Palestine and other primarily Muslim countries follow this calendar as their holidays correspond with the calendar days. Even though most countries follow the same calendar as the United States, but this calendar is still special to the Islamic religion.