Frankfurt am Main: Ramadan festival lighting is a model for many cities

Opinion

Beginning of the fasting month
Frankfurt’s Ramadan festival lighting is a model for many cities

For Muslims, Ramadan is just around the corner and Frankfurt am Main is the first German city to greet those fasting with festive lighting. The friendly and respectful gesture should also set a precedent outside of Hesse.

Christmas trees, Jingeling and red and gold nonsense are common in all corners of the world at Christmas: whether in China, Malaysia or Turkey – the Christian holiday has long since found a permanent place even far from the West: why not? All children are happy to receive gifts and free time with the family is also very welcome for most of them. Muslim festivals, on the other hand, are almost completely lost. Many Christians only know Ramadan, breaking the fast and the festival of sacrifice from the news.

Islam is the second largest religion in the country

There are around 5.5 million Muslims living in this country, which is around 6.5 percent of the population. Islam is the second largest religion, but there is usually little to be seen, at least little that is festive. The city of Frankfurt am Main now wants to change that and is planning to decorate parts of the city center with festive lighting for the fasting month of Ramadan, which begins on March 10th. Lanterns, crescent moons and the words “Happy Ramadan” will shine at the Alte Oper for four weeks.

Frankfurt is the first German city to greet its Muslim fellow citizens in this way. In a way that has so far only been common at Christmas. The Hessians do not have this idea exclusively. London started doing this last year, and in many Asian cities the streets are also decorated for religious minority festivals, such as the Hindu Festival of Lights. In the USA, Hanukkah glowing decorations are common, even if they are always somewhat overlooked due to their proximity to Christmas.

Feeling of belonging

Now, we Germans are not necessarily known for our hospitality and not necessarily for our ability to give people who seem to have arrived somehow a feeling of belonging. That’s why many people struggle with this country, including many Muslims. Festive lighting like in Frankfurt is unlikely to turn the skeptics among them into ardent patriots – but it is a friendly gesture and could be a model for other cities.

Actually, Germany should be much further along in 2024 anyway. There are Christian holidays such as the Assumption of Mary, which are only celebrated in Saarland and parts of Bavaria (i.e. are work-free), but Muslims have to attend the Sugar Festival. Unless they have considerate bosses or are lucky enough to still be students. Because in most federal states you don’t have to come to class.

Holiday for Muslims and Jews overdue

A holiday for Muslims is long overdue and would show German Muslims the respect that many have been missing for a long time. The same applies, of course, to German Jews. This could be combined with an already overdue clearing up of the German holiday mess: Catholics forego a few holidays, but benefit from the holidays for Muslims and Jews. In the end, everyone remains equally free.