The Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia announced that Thursday, June 26, will mark the first day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic 'Hirji' calendar.

The declaration followed the sighting of the crescent moon Wednesday night, a tradition observed at the end of each month in the Hijri calendar.

Like the Gregorian calendar, the Hijri calendar consists of 12 months. However, it is lunar-based, following the phases of the moon, whereas the Gregorian calendar is solar-based.

Muharram is one of four sacred months in the Hijri calendar. Many Muslims observe fasting on its first day and especially on the tenth day—Ashura—which holds deep religious significance. For Shia Muslims, it marks the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. For all Muslims, it commemorates the day God saved Prophet Moses and the Israelites from Pharaoh in Egypt.

The Hijri calendar began 1,447 years ago, starting from the Hijrah—Arabic for "migration"—when Prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina, a foundational moment in Islamic history and the birth of the first Muslim community.