Religious festival
Ramazan Bayramı, also called Şeker Bayramı, the “Sugar Festival”, marks the end of Ramadan. Families put on their best clothes, visit relatives and neighbours, and share sweets with everyone.
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Three days at the end of Ramadan; the date moves each year
Homes, mosques and neighbourhoods across Türkiye.
Visit family, greet elders, share sweets and baklava, and wish everyone a happy bayram.
İyi bayramlar!: Happy bayram!
Ramazan Bayramı is the Turkish name for Eid al-Fitr, the festival celebrated by Muslims around the world after the month of Ramadan. In Türkiye it lasts three days and is also widely known as Şeker Bayramı, the “Sugar” or “Sweets” festival, because sweets are shared so generously. Because the Islamic calendar is lunar, the date moves earlier each year in the Gregorian calendar.
The festival begins with morning prayers. People put on their best clothes, sometimes bought especially for the occasion and known as bayramlık, and set out to visit relatives, neighbours and friends. Visiting older relatives is especially important. Hosts often offer guests cologne, sweets and treats such as baklava and Turkish delight. In many families, younger relatives kiss the hand of an elder as a sign of respect, and elders may give them a small gift or pocket money. Younger family members also go from door to door in their neighbourhood wishing people a happy bayram and receiving sweets in return. Many families visit cemeteries to remember loved ones. Mosques and minarets are often lit up, and some cities host concerts and cultural events. Customs vary by region and family.
Ramazan Bayramı is above all a time to reconnect, to forgive and to share with family and neighbours.
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The bayram holiday is a busy travel period, as many families head to their hometowns, so book transport early. Some shops and offices close or shorten their hours. If you visit a family, greet the eldest first and accept the sweets you are offered. Dress modestly when visiting mosques.
Şeker Bayramı means “Sugar Festival”. Sweets are offered to every visitor and given to younger family members, which is why the name is so popular.
Three days, following the end of Ramadan.
A traditional sign of respect, in which a younger person kisses an elder’s hand. Elders often respond with a small gift or pocket money.
