Ramadan 2020: Longest and shortest fasting hours around the world
This year, the minimum duration of the fast will be 11.5 hours which will go up to 20 hours depending on the location
Ramadan, the holy month of great significance for the Islamic community accorss the globe has begun.
The ninth month of the Islamic luner calender lasts a moon cycle, variying from 29 to 30 days.
Religious muslims all over the world observe the month with fasting, charity, in prayers and supplication.
Fasting, which is the most integral part of Ramadan, commences at the dawn after "Sehri"- the early meal and concludes after the sunset with "Iftar"- the evening meal, everyday.
The fasting hours in Ramadan change by a few minutes throughout the month, as the sun rising and setting differ each day than the day earlier.
Last year, the minimum duration of the fast was 11 hours but went up to 20 hours, depending on the location. And this year, similar durations will be seen.
By the end of the month, each day will be a little longer than at the beginning in some countries and shorter in others.
This year, however, people of Greenland's Nuuk, Norway's Oslo and Finland's Helsinki will be fasting the longest, which is 20 hours a day.
The shortest 11.5 hours a day will be applied to places like- New Zealand's Wellington, Argentina's Buenos Aires, South Africa's Cape Town, Australia's Canberra and Chile's Santiago.
Among the Saarc counties, Afghanistan's Kabul will be fasting the longest with 17 hours, India around 15 hours and Bangladesh around 14.5 hours.
Those observing Ramadan in the Middle East will fast between 15 and 16 hours.
Across the continent of Africa, fasting times will range between 11.5 hours (South Africa), 13 hours (Kenya), 14 hours (Ethiopia and Yemen), 14.5 hours (Sudan), 15.5 hours (Egypt), to 16 hours (Morocco).
While nordic countries will fast for the longest period of time. other European countries such as Spain, France, and Italy will all have between 16.5 and 18 hours. Eastern European countries will fast for 17 to 17.5 hours.
North Americans will fast for 16 to 17 hours this year.
In South America, which is experiencing winter months, fasts will range between 11.5 hours (Argentina and Chile) and 12.5 hours (Brazil).
In China, the fasting period will go on for approximately 16.5 hours, while Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore (13.5), Malaysia (13.5), Indonesia (13), and Thailand (14) will fast for fewer hours.
