2023-04-21 20:21:38
This week, Muslims worldwide close Ramadan with Eid-al-Fitr, also known as Eid al-Fitr in the Netherlands. Many Muslims celebrate by donating money to charity and eating with family and friends. How will the party be celebrated this year, now that life is so expensive due to inflation?
Groceries are still getting more expensive. Muslims who participated in Ramadan in the past month therefore spend more money on products for the fasting period and the festival that follows.
“Many people talk regarding those price increases,” says chairman Muhsin Köktas of the umbrella organization Contact Body for Muslims and Government. “But as far as I know, Muslims in the Netherlands have not started doing anything different from previous years.”
“Muslims do everything in moderation during Ramadan anyway,” continues Köktas. “But now people are perhaps even more careful, because of the high prices.” During the fasting month you are supposed to be careful with the things you have and make sure you don’t throw away too much.
“If you have leftover food, it is the intention that you give it to people who need it,” says the chairman. People who are short on cash are helped by friends and family in this way.
Wanneer is Ied-al-Fitr?
Dat hangt af van wanneer de maansikkel wordt waargenomen. Dan begint de nieuwe maand. Dit wordt op verschillende manieren bepaald en verschilt per land. Anderen gaan uit van een vooraf berekende datum. Dit jaar valt het feest voor de meeste mensen op 21 april.
Retailers are busy
Eid-al-Fitr is accompanied by gifts, plenty of food and delicacies. But even in the run-up to the party, shopkeepers do not notice much of the rising prices. A tour of NU.nl shows that Islamic butchers, bakers and supermarkets are not affected by declining sales figures. It is even very busy in many places.
During Eid-al-Fitr, many people give money to charities. “That’s because Ramadan stands for reflection and solidarity with people who are not well off,” says Köktas. Therefore, Muslims are expected to do more charity work during this period.
There will be no savings on that this year, says the chairman. “All attention and solidarity goes out to the victims of the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey. Large organizations have already collected a lot of money.”
Less expensive gifts this year
Readers who have fasted during Ramadan also say they are not bothered by the rising prices. Instead, they found smart ways to deal with it.
“We were able to arrange it in such a way that we took this into account a few months in advance,” says reader Emin Humet. “We know that Ramadan is coming. That’s why we started spending less. We also kept track of the promotions in supermarkets.”
Another tip is to buy cheaper gifts. “No Douglas fragrances for us this year,” says reader M El. It also helps not to buy certain things ready-made, but to make them yourself. “We make the biscuits at home this year. Normally they cost us 30 euros per kilo, now it has cost regarding 18 euros.”
Reader Samira Lajimi Mrad is baking with friends and family this year. “That way you can share the costs and everyone has something delicious.”
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