Rites Around the World

Palestinian women stand in front of a window decoration of Islam's crescent moon and a star on the eve of Islam's holy fasting month of Ramadan, in the West Bank city of Jenin

A Muslim man attends an evening prayer called "Tarawih", to mark the beginning of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at Al Azhar mosque in Cairo July 31, 2011.
Millions of Muslims worldwide celebrate on Monday the beginning of Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar when Muslims abstain from eating, drinking and conducting sexual relations from sunrise to sunset.

A Palestinian boy plays with fireworks to celebrate the beginning of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in the town of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip

Children play next a man praying before mass prayer session "Tarawih", which marks the beginning of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta July 31, 2011.

A Palestinian vendor hangs decorations for the upcoming holy month of Ramadan at a market in Jerusalem's Old City July 31, 2011. The Dome of the Rock on the compound known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif, and to Jews as Temple Mount, is seen in the back.

A Palestinian woman stands under decorations for the upcoming holy month of Ramadan near Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City July 31, 2011.

Tourists stand under decorations for the upcoming holy month of Ramadan at a market in Jerusalem's Old City July 31, 2011.

People walk in an alley decorated for the upcoming holy month of Ramadan in Jerusalem's Old City July 31, 2011.

A Palestinian man hangs decorations for the upcoming holy month of Ramadan outside his home in Jerusalem's Old City July 31, 2011

A woman points skyward as she and her sons look for the crescent moon in Amman, Jordan, at sunset Sunday, July 31, 2011.
Religious authorities in most of the Middle East declared that Monday will be the start of the holy month of Ramadan, a period devoted to dawn-to-dusk fasting, prayers and spiritual introspection. Ramadan begins around 11 days earlier each year. Its start is calculated based on the sighting of the new moon, which marks the beginning of the Muslim lunar month that varies between 29 or 30 days.

Bahrainis search the evening sky Sunday, July 31, 2011, over the Persian Gulf from the western village of Karzakan, Bahrain, for the sliver of a new moon that indicates the beginning of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Indonesian Muslims nap during the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadhan at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, Monday, Aug. 1, 2011.

A Filipino Muslim prays inside a mosque during the start of Ramadan in Quiapo, metro Manila August 1, 2011.

Filipino Muslims pray inside a mosque during the start of Ramadan in Quiapo, metro Manila August 1, 2011

A Filipino Muslim man prays inside a mosque during the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in suburban Paranaque, south of Manila, Philippines on Monday, Aug. 1, 2011.

Filipino Muslim women pray inside a mosque during the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in suburban Paranaque, south of Manila, Philippines on Monday, Aug. 1, 2011.

A Muslim woman prepares Bubur Lambuk at Kampung Baru in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, Aug. 16, 2010. Bubur Lambuk is a type of Malay rice porridge that is cooked and distributed in many places during the fasting month of Ramadan.

A Muslim man cooks Bubur Lambuk at Kampung Baru in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, Monday, Aug. 1, 2011.

A Muslim man attends an evening prayer called "Tarawih", to mark the beginning of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at Al Azhar mosque in Cairo July 31, 2011.

A Muslim man attends an evening prayer called "Tarawih", to mark the beginning of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at Al Azhar mosque in Cairo July 31, 2011.

Muslim men attend an evening prayer called "Tarawih" to mark the beginning of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at Al Azhar mosque in Cairo July 31, 2011.

A man walks past shops selling festive lights for the holy month of Ramadan, in old Cairo July 31, 2011.

Muslim men attend an evening prayer called "Tarawih", to mark the beginning
of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at Al Azhar mosque in Cairo July 31, 2011.

Chinese Hui Muslim men read the Quran on the first day of the Muslim holy month
of Ramadan at the Niujie Mosque in Beijing Monday, Aug. 1, 2011.

Muslims listen a sermon while waiting to break their fast on the first day of the
holy month of Ramadan at the main Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta August 1, 2011.