How Muslims in Germany are celebrating Ramadan this year
For the some 1.9 billion Muslims around the world, Ramadan is one of the holiest times of the year, marking a time of deep reflection, community, fasting and spiritual contemplation.
This year, the holy festival begins on February 28th and will run until the three-day festival of Eid at the end of March - and there are plenty of celebrations happening around Germany.
With a rapidly growing number of Muslims living in the Bundesrepublik, local gatherings and community events for Ramadan and Eid are becoming bigger and more vibrant every year. Here's what to expect - and how to join the festivities - in 2025.
What's Ramadan all about - and how is it celebrated?
In Islamic lore, Ramadan marks the time in which the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Mohammed through the angel Jibreel. According to the Muslim faith, the revelation of this divine text sparked a new phase of hope and salvation for humanity, which can be realised through fasting and contemplation of the sacred book during the holy month of March.
For the 30 days of Ramadan, Muslims are not allowed to eat or drink anything from sunrise to sunset, and must also refrain from smoking and sex during the daylight hours. This period of fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam and is believed to purify the soul and bring devotees closer to God.
The name Ramadan stems from the arabic word 'ramad', which translates as scorching heat or sun-baked sand. Ramadan is therefore the 'hot month' in which sins and impurities are burned away through fasting and other acts of devotion. The dryness of 'ramad' also refers to the feeling of thirst that worshippers experience during the fast.
Are Muslims allowed to eat anything at all?
Two meals a day are usually consumed in the evening and early morning hours during Ramadan. Each of these long fasting days starts with the meal of suhur before dawn and ends with the meal of iftah after sundown.
The second meal is usually a big community affair in which neighbours, friends and extended family gather together to break their fast in the evening. Traditionally, it begins with three dates - which is how the Prophet Mohammed is said to have ended his fast - but this isn't mandatory.
Describing the feeling of breaking the fast, Camilla Al-Mousllie, a Syrian citizen living in Braunschweig, said the first time is always "something special".
"You simply perceive everything completely differently," she told reporters at NDR. "You can really feel the first sip of water, how it goes down and where it ends up. It's a completely different perception of food and drink after you've fasted. That moves me every year."
Not everyone must take part in the fast, however. People with mental or physical health issues are not expected to join in, while pregnant women are allowed to make up days of fasting later on.
What happens at the end of Ramadan?
Following the weeks of self-denial during Ramadan, Muslims break their dawn-to-dusk fast with the joyful festival of Eid al-Fitr, or Eid for short. This celebration is known as Zuckerfest, or "Sugar Feast" in German, because families often purchase a lavish selection of food and sweet treats to enjoy during Eid, and also give sweets as gifts to young children.
This year, Zuckerfest will be celebrated on March 30th and 31st. It begins with a special morning prayer known as the Salat al-Eid, which is held at big mosques in cities like Frankfurt, Cologne and Berlin. After this, people often gather with friends and family to enjoy luxurious festive meals and exchange gifts. In preparation, new clothes are purchased and every home is scrubbed from top to bottom.
In some federal states, practising Muslims can get the day off work if the main Eid celebrations happen to fall on a workday. This year, however, the festivities begin on a Sunday.
What events are happening around Germany in 2025?
Every year, the festivities on offer during Ramadan and Eid seem to become larger and more bombastic - and this year is no exception. Through the country, you can expect to encounter a colourful array cultural festivals and talks as well as invites to cross-faith events and shared iftah meals at mosques and open houses.
At Cologne central mosque, for example, there will be a series of 'Ramadan Rendevouz' talks on spiritual and social topics held on three consecutive Thursdays and one Monday in March. Visitors can enjoy delicious baklava and Turkish tea after sundown, while listening to renowned speakers and taking part in intercultural exchange and dialogue. The mosque will also host Zuckerfest celebrations during Eid.
Meanwhile, Muslim dating app Muzz is hosting a series of iftah gatherings at Berlin Zionskirche, where both Muslims and non-Muslims can get together to enjoy a hearty end-of-day meal as well as oriental music and light-hearted quizzes. As usual, there will also be a number of community Zuckerfest events happening around the capital, including a three-day street festival for families with food and children's entertainment on Turmstraße in Moabit.
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In Frankfurt, a 'Happy Ramadan' light display have been turned on in the city centre for the second year in a row - this time without any protest from right-wing circles. The lights will be on display along Große Bockenheimer Straße for the 30 days of the festival.
"We are showing that Muslim life is a natural part of our city," Mayor Nargess Eskandari-Grünberg of the Greens explained. "Frankfurt stands for diversity and openness."
In Nuremberg, meanwhile, the 'Brücke-Köprü' cultural exchange project will be hosting a special interfaith dinner at the Christuskirche on Siemensplatz. People of all religions and backgrounds are welcome to enjoy a delicious meal together in celebration of both Ramadan and Lent, and guests are encouraged to contribute (halal) food to the buffet.
How large is Germany's Muslim population?
Germany is home to one of the largest Muslim populations in Europe, with estimates suggesting around 5.3 to 5.6 million Muslims were living in the country as of 2023. This represents approximately 6.5 percent of the total population.
While Muslims are often treated as a single bloc, there is huge diversity within the community, which stems from countries as far afield as Turkey, Syria, Pakistan, Indonesia, and the Balkans.
Since the guest worker generation arrived in the mid-20th century, Turkish migrants have made up the largest Islam faith group in Germany, accounting for about half of practising Muslims in the country. However, refugees from places like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan have also significantly contributed to the numbers in recent years.
Most Muslims in Germany reside in urban areas, with large communities in cities like Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, Hamburg, and Munich. There are estimated to be around 300,000 Muslims in Berlin alone, making around eight percent of the population, while 1.5 million reside in the populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
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