New Jersey

Ramadan In New Jersey: What To Know For 2025 Holiday

Published

12 months ago

March 10, 2025

Ramadan In New Jersey: What To Know For 2025 Holiday

NEW JERSEY — It’s one of the most sacred times of the year for Muslim residents in New Jersey and other parts of the world: Ramadan.

This year, advocates have been reaching out to New Jersey residents and elected officials in an attempt to share some understanding about the holy month of Ramadan.

Ramadan takes place on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which is based on lunar cycles, so the exact dates change every year. In 2025, Ramadan is expected to begin on Feb. 28 or March 1, and end on March 30 or March 31.

New Jersey has one of the largest percentages of Muslim residents in the nation. The state celebrated its first official “Muslim Heritage Month” last year after Democratic and Republican lawmakers unanimously supported a resolution in 2023.

“Ramadan is one of the most sacred times of the year for Muslims, marked by fasting, prayer and reflection,” explained Nancy Elbassiouny, government affairs manager with the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ).

Unfamiliar with the holiday? The nonprofit has released a guide to “Understanding Ramadan and Eid,” which can be seen online here.

According to CAIR-NJ:

“Fasting from dawn to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, with Muslims refraining from food, drink and other physical needs during daylight hours. The fast is broken each evening with a meal called Iftar, often shared with family, friends and community. Eid ul-Fitr, or the ‘Festival of Breaking the Fast,’ is the celebration immediately after the conclusion of Ramadan. It is a joyous occasion of gratitude, family gatherings and community engagement.”

“As Muslims across New Jersey and the nation prepare for Ramadan, we hope this guide will help elected officials connect with their Muslim constituents in a meaningful and respectful way,” Elbassiouny said. “It’s important for our leaders to foster inclusivity by acknowledging this holy month and the joyous holiday of Eid ul-Fitr.”

Celebrations in New Jersey this year have included a large gathering in Paterson, which is represented by three Muslim city council members, in addition to events in dozens of other towns and cities.

Searching for a local place of worship in New Jersey? CAIR-NJ has created an interactive Masjid map that includes more than 150 mosques. Islamic schools that have a separate Musallah that is attended are included. View it online here.

EID AND NEW JERSEY SCHOOLS

Is Eid an excused absence for New Jersey students? According to CAIR-NJ, all Muslim students attending any New Jersey public school can currently receive an excused absence using a note from a religious leader or masjid to observe Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

The group has also pushed for recognition for Eid as a holiday by closing public schools in New Jersey districts with high percentages of Muslim students.

Several districts in the state are already ahead of the curve. Eid has recently been added as a school holiday in districts including Newark, Hillsborough, East Brunswick, Holmdel and Moorestown.

WELL WISHES FOR 2025

Several elected officials and groups in New Jersey have offered greetings of “Ramadan Mubarak” on social media. As seen online:

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

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New Jersey

N.J. group demands review of Trenton immigration arrest operation at auto shop

Published

6 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

N.J. group demands review of Trenton immigration arrest operation at auto shop

U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-Mercer, said in a statement on Facebook that she has been briefed about the incident and her office is monitoring the situation.

Pazmino said her organization is calling on members of the community to come together.

“Brown and Black immigrant communities and nonimmigrant communities are welcome, and should be uniting against this force,” she said.

She is also calling on local officials to assist relatives of those taken into custody.

“We need to support families affected by these kidnappings, with mutual aid, donations and anything else you think will help each other,” Pazmino said.

A woman identified as Andrea, while holding her 1-year-old daughter, Genesis, tearfully spoke in Spanish about the anguish she feels and her fears about the future without her husband Christian, one of the men taken into custody. A friend, who translated her word into English, said Christian was a good and honest man.

“If he used to see a neighbor carrying something heavy, he would run to help them. If a friend needed a favor, he didn’t ask, he just did it,” she said.

Andrea (left) whose husband, Christian, was taken into custody during a raid on a Trenton auto repair shop, holds her 1-year-old daughter, Genesis, while translator Ashley Batz reads her statement in English. (Emma Lee/WHYY)

She said “his daughter was his whole world. He would wake up to her and give her kisses every morning. He would play with her after a long day at work. He loved us and protected us. He didn’t do anything wrong, so why was he taken?”

The Rev. Erich Kussman, St. Bartholomew’s pastor, said the entire Lutheran Church stands with the family.

“Anything you need, you can come to us. I want you to know that. I will stand with you, and we will do what we can to protect you, because that’s the call of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said.

“Standing with ICE is antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ, hands down,” he added. “Fifty-one times the scriptures tell us to welcome the immigrant and foreigner as one of our own. If you’re not living true to that gospel, the words of Christ himself, you are not a Christian, no matter what you claim to be.”

With immigration enforcement activity on the rise in New Jersey, lawmakers have proposed several bills to expand protections for immigrant communities. One measure called the “Fight Unlawful Conduct and Keep Individuals and Communities Empowered Act” would allow individuals to file a lawsuit against ICE agents who violate their constitutional rights.

Asma Elhuni speaking at a podium — Asma Elhuni, an organizer with Resistencia En Acción NJ speaks at a press conference at St. Bartholomew Lutheran Church in Trenton, joined by pastor Erich Kussman. The group was responding to the detention of three workers at Agudo’s Repair Shop on Feb. 20, 2026. (Emma Lee/WHYY)

Another proposed bill would require any business that operates a private prison or detention facility in the state to pay a tax equal to 50% of the taxpayer’s gross receipts derived from the operation of the facility during the previous year. The bill also stipulates all revenues generated would go to an “immigration protection fund.”

Recently proposed legislation would prohibit ICE agents from ever holding a public job in the Garden State, and New Jersey U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim are proposing legislation to prevent new funding for the Department of Homeland Security from being used to purchase a warehouse in Roxbury, New Jersey.

Requests for comment from ICE and the U.S. Marshals Service were not immediately returned.

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New Jersey

Spring’s coming; Sunny, warm Saturday and significant warm-up ahead NJ

Published

18 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Spring’s coming; Sunny, warm Saturday and significant warm-up ahead NJ

A brief respite from cold weather is ahead of New Jersey this weekend, before temperatures continue to rise late next week, according to the National Weather Service.

Saturday, Feb. 28 will be sunny across the Garden State, and temperatures will be comfortable, reaching the high 40s and low 50s.

Then, a brief artic cold front is expected to move into the region late on Saturday night, bringing temps to low 30’s and some scattered snow showers on Sunday, especially in North Jersey.

During the week, a couple low pressure systems are in the NWS forecast. Little snow if any is expected from these systems, especially in the late week, when a significant warm-up is expected.

Asbury Park and Monmouth County weekend weather forecast

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 45.

Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33.

Sunday: Partly sunny and a chance of snow before 1 p.m. The high should be near 39. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 22.

Wildwoods and Atlantic County weather forecast

Saturday: Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 56.

Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 31.

Sunday: Partly sunny and a slight chance of rain before 1 p.m. The high should be near 44. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 19.