How to Type Ramadan Symbols

The waxing crescent moon appears at the start of Ramadan.

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, traditionally starts when the thinnest crescent moon appears in the sky. At the end of the month of Ramadan, the moon wanes until only a crescent appears in the sky. The star and crescent, waxing crescent moon and waning crescent moon are all symbols associated with Ramadan. You can type these symbols on a keyboard with a dedicated number pad using alt key codes.

Instructions

1. Enable num lock by pressing the “Num Lock” key on your keyboard. Most keyboards have a light that appears when num lock is enabled.

2. Press and hold the “Alt” key.

3. Use the numeric keypad at the right side of your keyboard to type “9770” for a crescent moon with a star, “9789” for a waxing crescent moon or “9790” for a waning crescent moon.

4. Release the “Alt” key. The symbol appears at the location of your text entry cursor.

Tips & Warnings

• You have to use a dedicated numeric keypad; the number keys above the letters on your keyboard won't work. If your keyboard doesn’t have a numeric keypad, you can copy and paste these characters from the Windows character map. Open it by clicking “Start,” typing “Character Map” and pressing “Enter.”

• The font you’re using determines the special characters available. If you’re using a font that doesn’t contain these symbols, you won’t see them when you enter the alt code.

References

• Harvard University: Celebrating Ramadan - A Resource for Educators
• Penn State: Windows - Alt Key Numeric Codes