Muslims in Dutch celebrate Eid al-Fitr

Muslims in the Netherlands celebrate the conclusion of Ramadan, or the festival of Eid al-Fitr, on Monday, but the Dutch moniker for the celebration, the Suikerfeest, or sugar holiday, is falling out of favor, according to a news channel.

Suikerfeest is a direct translation of the Turkish eker Bayram, although it is possible that this is a misreading of ükür Bayram (feast of gratitude), which was originally the term for the festivities marking the conclusion of the fasting period in Turkey. According to Nu.nl, Muslims in the Netherlands now want to return to the true purpose of Eid al-Fitr — the fast-breaking festival.

After all, the term “sugar feast” indicates that people would be consuming sweets all day, but Eid al-Fitr is about much more than that. It is a day for dressing up, donating presents and money to charities, and greeting one another with the words ‘Eid Mubarak.’

Suikerfeest is exclusively utilized in the Netherlands and Turkey, according to the head of the Muslim community group CMO, Muhsin Köktas. He claims that there is a shift away from the phrase on social media. ‘People would prefer that the phrase not be used,’ he added.