Royal Family offers well wishes at end of Ramadan
With the Islamic month of fasting and reflection likely coming to an end on Sunday, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima posted messages on social media wishing everyone a nice feast to end Ramadan. The month of dawn-to-dusk fasting draws to a close once the crescent moon is visible after Friday's new moon.
"Now that the fasting month of Ramadan is coming to an end, we wish everyone who is preparing for the conclusion a festive Suikerfeest. Even though you cannot come together with everyone who is dear to you, we hope for you that this year's festivities will still be a celebration of inspiration and connection," the royal couple said. Suikerfeest is the Dutch name for Eid al-Fitr, the Breaking the Fast Festival.
Last year, Willem-Alexander also joined a community Iftar, the evening meal which breaks the fast. His unannounced visit to the Mandelaplein community center in the Transvaal district of The Hague was a surprise to most of the attendees. The King kept the drop-in a secret because he did not want the attendees to feel unwelcome at their own party.
"I never thought I would meet the king and now he comes to me. Really bizarre," attendee Cansu Alkurt told newspaper AD at the time.
