The Sugar Feast, the holiday with the name that will definitely get you in the mood for sweets. But what exactly does this feast stand for and why is it celebrated? You will learn more about the Sugar Feast in this article!

Eid al-Fitr

On June 15 the Ramadan ends with ‘Eid-al-Fitr’, or the so-called Sugar Feast. The Arabic translation of this feast is ‘the holiday of breaking’. In this sentence breaking means the breaking of fasting.

So much more than sugar

The Sugar Feast lasts for three days and the exact beginning depends on the appearance of the sickle of the new moon. After not eating, drinking, smoking or having intercourse between sunrise and sunset for thirty days, the Ramadan ends with the Sugar Feast. This holiday includes eating sweets and other kinds of food, but the day is certainly not only about eating delicious food. On the first day, men and most women visit the mosque in the morning to jointly make a special prayer. The rest of the day people visit family, eat a lot of tasty food and dress nicely. In addition, gifts are given to each other and also gifts are given to the poor.

Where does the name come from?

If the holiday is about so much more than only candy and other delicacies, why is it called Sugar Feast? The name comes from Turkey, where they use ‘Şeker Bayrami’. ‘Seker’ means sugar and ‘bayrami’ means party. Arabic Muslims often call the holiday ‘the Little Feast’, because the name Sugar Feast would emphasize too much on the delicacies. The Little Feast is related to the Sacrifice Feast, and this feast is often called the ‘Great Feast’.

During the Sugar Feast everyone tries to be nice to each other. It’s about so much more than just good food. It is a period of solidarity and unity: everyone is celebrating that they completed the Ramadan.

After a month of fasting, everything tastes extra good!