Ramadan in Tunisia

The months in the Islamic calendar depend on the observation of the moon by humans, therefore, a date cannot be determined in advance, only be approximated.

The Ramadan month of the Islamic calendar (Ramadan is the name of the month, not a word for "fasting") began 2020 in the evening of April 23rd, after sunset, the first day of fasting was therefore April 24th.

For 2021, the probable period will be:

In the years thereafter, Ramadan will be, each year, 10-11 days earlier.

The exact day of the start (and also the end) of Ramadan can not be predicted, as the time is being determined locally by lunar observation and can be up to 2 days before or after the expected date. In any case, the date is not known for certain until the day before (except in the countries where, contrary to islamic rule, astronomical calculations are used, as is often the case in Tunisia. But even in Tunisia, the beginning of Ramadan is always "surprisingly" proclaimed the day before ).
In the Islamic calendar, a new day begins after sunset and not at 00:00 o'clock (midnight). One month lasts one lunar cycle, that is 29 or 30 days. The new lunar cycle (the new month) starts with the first evening after the (literally!) day, when the moon becomes first visible to the naked eye, thus theoretically on the calendar day after a new moon.

Although not all Muslims in Tunisia today strictly follow the traditional 29/30-day lent, the majority, especially the older people, will do so.
During Ramadan, believers are forbidden, during the day, to eat or drink food, as well as to smoke or exercise physical interpersonal relationships. Certain exceptions apply only to the sick, to children, to mothers and to travelers.

In Ramadan in Tunisia it is therefore to be expected that shops, restaurants, banks, etc. are either completely closed or only open for a few hours a day, either in the morning or late in the evening.

In the tourist areas of Tunisia, and certainly in the hotels, the restaurants are mostly also open during the day.

The Aid Al Fitr festival is held on the first day of the month following the month of Ramadan (Shawwal) and marks the end of Lent. This day is an holiday in which almost all shops are closed and students have school off. The Tunisian family celebrate these days together. Even in the following two days, shops can still be closed.

In the Tunis Air planes, which are often chartered by European airlines, alcohole consumption has been prohibited during Ramadan in the previous years.