Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Rising number of young people in Bulgaria were praparing to welcome Ramazan Bayram in 2023

Photo: BTA

Today begins the three-day celebration of Ramazan Bayramı (Eid al-Fitr) - one of the biggest holidays for Muslims, along with Kurban Bayram. After a 30-day fast, believers in Allah offer a special prayer after which they sit down at a table full of various sweet specialties, but most often baklava.

Ramazan Bayram this year is different, Chief Mufti Dr. Mustafa Hadji said in his address to Muslims in Bulgaria:


"Dear Muslim brothers and sisters, Ramazan is over and we now mark Bayram. This Ramazan was different from previous years as more young people fasted during the days and visited the mosques at night. It really gave us the opportunity to be more confident in ourselves and to be happier. I am sure that even after Ramazan, young people will continue to have a relationship with religion, because everyone understands that religion is a source of spiritual energy and happiness. May Allah accept the obedience and service from everyone, may Allah give us the opportunity to welcome Ramazan and Bairam for many years. Happy Ramazan Bayram!"

The final data from the 2021 population census in the country have not yet been released, but it is known that over 10% of Bulgaria's citizens are Muslim. There are also many Bulgarian Muslims who celebrate Ramadan Bayram abroad.

Gulbeyaz Sar has been living in Osnabrüch, Germany since 2016, where she works as a nurse. Together with their family, they welcome Ramazan Bayram this year with great excitement, but they also feel sadness. "We are far from our relatives and friends. We miss them a lot. When it's Bayram we feel their absence much stronger," Gulbeyaz says.

Gulbeyaz Sar together with her family

"Many Turks live in Osnabrüch, where there are many Muslims. We live in constant contact with Muslims here. We keep our customs and celebrate Ramazan Bayram together. In fact, there is not much difference with the celebration in Bulgaria. Iftar evenings were organized during the month of Ramadan. There are four mosques here and we used to visit the Great Mosque. In connection with the traditional iftar dinners, the mosques had the following motto: ‘Cohesion, unity, friendship’. At these gatherings, people have the opportunity to see friends and acquaintances whom they have not seen for a long time, communicate, have fun," Gulbeyaz Sar tells Bedrie Haliz of the Turkish section of Radio Bulgaria

Ebru Ahmed has been living with his family in Austria and studies law at the University of Vienna:

Ebru Ahmed

"In the past two years we celebrated Bayram in Vienna. Before that, we always celebrated in Bulgaria. Our first Ramazan Bayram here was filled with sadness because very few of our loved ones were with us. We are used to be with the whole family, all relatives gathering and celebrating together. For this reason we were sad. But we also have relatives and family friends here. On Bayram they visit us or we go to their homes. We have cousins in other cities and we visit each other. In days like these, it's the only way to deal with the homesickness we feel."

Translation: Al. Markov

Photos: BTA, personal archive, Chief Mufti Office




Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

The tomb of the Thracian king Seuthes III in the Golyamata Kosmatka mound.

20 years ago, archaeologist Georgi Kitov discovered the tomb of King Seuthes III

June 11, 2007 - US President George W. Bush Jr. visits Sofia. According to protocol, the press conference he held for the media took place among the exhibits of the National Archaeological Museum. The official lunch for the guest was later held at the..

published on 11/12/24 6:54 PM
Todor Zhivkov

Bulgaria marks 35 years since the fall of communism

On November 10, 1989, a plenum of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party ousted its General Secretary and Chairman of the State Council, Todor Zhivkov. This marked the symbolic beginning of the transition from a one-party system to..

published on 11/10/24 11:18 AM

Archaeologists have discovered intriguing finds in the Kavatsi area near Sozopol

Archaeologists have explored a necropolis in the Kavatsi area near Sozopol. The perimeter in which it is located is part of the history of Apollonia Pontica and is dated to the 4th century BC. "This is a site with interesting burials in which a nuance..

published on 11/10/24 10:05 AM