Idul Fitri falls on Wednesday

JAKARTA (JP): The government announced on Monday that Idul Fitri falls on Wednesday and that the Ramadhan fasting month will last the full 30 days and not 29, Antara reported.

The announcement came after various sighting posts reported that they could not see the moon's crescent, which would have meant the start of the Islamic lunar month on Tuesday.

The reports were discussed at a meeting between Minister of Religious Affairs Tolchah Hasan with leaders of various Islamic religious organizations and ambassadors from Islamic countries.

Depending on the movement of the moon, an Arabic month can last either 29 or 30 days. In the majority of cases, the movement could be calculated with a high degree of precision. Tradition however still requires that physical sighting of the arrival of the crescent be performed to confirm the calculations.

Most of the major Islamic organizations are expected to follow the government's recommendations although in the past it has been known that one or two begged to differ and celebrate Idul Fitri a day earlier.