Suikerfeest 2027 (Eid al-Fitr) date, traditions and Eid events in the Netherlands

What is Eid al-Fitr?

Eid al-Fitr, "the feast of breaking the fast", ends Ramadan, the month in which Muslims do not eat or drink between first light and sunset. It falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar, and it is one of the two great feasts of Islam. The other is Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, about two months later.

Muslims mark it with a special prayer, a gift for the poor, visits to family and friends, new clothes and a lot of food. It is a day of gratitude and togetherness after a month of discipline, and the sweets are only part of it.

Suikerfeest or Eid al-Fitr?

In the Netherlands you will hear both. Suikerfeest, "sugar feast", is the common Dutch name. It was taken over from the Turkish Şeker Bayramı, and Muslims in the Netherlands use it too. Many prefer Eid al-Fitr, or the Ramadan feast (Ramazan Bayramı in Turkish), because the feast is about the end of the fast and not about sweets. The Muslim organisation CMO does not use the word suikerfeest.

Moroccans also call it Eid es-Seghir, the "small feast", next to Eid al-Kabir, the "big feast" of sacrifice. The greeting is Eid Mubarak, "blessed feast". This page uses the Dutch and the Arabic name side by side.

When is Eid al-Fitr in 2027?

The expected first day is Tuesday 9 March 2027. That is the date in the Saudi Umm al-Qura calendar and in the Diyanet calendar that Turkish mosques follow, and Diyanet counts 9 to 11 March as the feast days. The feast begins at sunset on the evening before, Monday 8 March, which is the 29th day of Ramadan: after sunset people look for the new crescent that starts Shawwal.

The moon has the last word, so the day can shift by one. If the crescent is not seen, Ramadan runs 30 days and Eid is Wednesday 10 March. On the evening of Monday 8 March the new crescent cannot be seen in Europe or Morocco, so mosques that wait for a sighting will probably celebrate on Wednesday 10 March.

Turkish mosques mostly follow Diyanet's calculated calendar. Moroccan Dutch families have mostly followed the sighting announced in Saudi Arabia, and some follow the sighting in Morocco. Each mosque announces its own day, usually the evening before. In 2026 mosques that had begun Ramadan on different days still held the Eid prayer together, on Friday 20 March.

Because the Islamic year is about eleven days shorter, the feast moves earlier every year: 20 March in 2026, 9 March in 2027 and 26 February in 2028.

Eid al-Fitr in the Netherlands

The feast starts in the morning with the Eid prayer. It is held in mosques, and so many people come that it also moves to big halls and sports fields: the Aristoshal in Amsterdam Nieuw-West, the Dakpark in Rotterdam, a sports park in Groningen where about a thousand people prayed in 2026 because the mosque is too small. The prayer is a religious service, not an event, so it is not in the listings below.

Most Muslims celebrate at home with their family. Public celebrations come mostly on the second day and the weekend: in Amsterdam in 2026 there was an Arabic dinner with a DJ in Zuidoost on Saturday and a family afternoon with music, food and a children's show at Theater de Krakeling on Sunday. In recent years the big shop chains have started selling Eid decorations and dates.

What happens on the day

Before the prayer every Muslim who can gives zakat al-fitr, a charitable gift for the poor, in food or in money, for themselves and for everyone they support. The prayer takes place in the morning and has two units followed by a sermon. Afterwards people greet each other with Eid Mubarak, often with a hug, and forgive old quarrels. Fasting is not allowed on this day.

The rest of the day is for visiting family and friends, in new clothes. Children get presents or money, called Eidi in many countries. Turkish Dutch families call the feast Ramazan Bayramı. In Turkey children go from door to door for sweets, and people visit relatives and neighbours. Evenitto lists the Ramazan Bayramı events on the Turkish events pages.

The table is full. Dates are often served first, then baklava, kataifi, lokma, samosas, biryani, Moroccan harira and mint tea. Moroccan families often serve couscous or lamb or beef skewers for the meal. What is on the table differs by country and by family.

Eid festivals and events

Beyond the prayer and the family table, several venues organise an Eid evening or festival in the days after the feast. What happened in recent years gives an idea of the formats.

In The Hague the Eid Festival of 21 March 2026 filled the Koninklijke Schouwburg with comedy, live music and an afterparty, while the foyer had a Moroccan mint tea ceremony, a henna stall, Eid cookies and stalls with jewellery and gifts. In Rotterdam LantarenVenster and the Arab Film Festival showed two films with Moroccan tea and sweets on Sunday 30 March 2025. In Amsterdam the 2026 programme ran from the dinner and DJ night to the family afternoon.

Organisers announce their events ahead of the feast. The programme below shows the Eid events announced for 2027 as they come in.

Time off for Eid in the Netherlands

Eid al-Fitr is not a recognised public holiday in the Netherlands, unlike Christmas Day. To be free, you request leave from your employer, who can only say no if the request genuinely harms the business. Some collective labour agreements let employees exchange a Christian holiday for Eid.

School pupils have a right to leave for the day of the feast under the Leerplichtwet, because of their religion. The school does not have to approve it: parents just notify the head teacher, at least two days ahead. A longer stay abroad to celebrate is not covered.