Saed News: Eid al-Fitr is one of the most important holidays for Muslims, celebrated at the end of the holy month of Ramadan in gratitude for a month of worship to Allah.
Saed News: Eid al-Fitr is one of the most important celebrations for Muslims, marked at the end of the holy month of Ramadan as a gesture of gratitude for a month of worship to Allah. Eid al-Fitr is also known as the "Festival of Breaking the Fast," and due to the sweet foods that are made and consumed during this holiday, it has also earned the name "Sweet Eid."
In this article, join us to explore various sweets for Eid al-Fitr across different cultures.
The tradition of eating sweets to celebrate Eid al-Fitr dates back to Saudi Arabia and the time of the first Muslims. Back then, dates and honey were used to make sweets for the Eid celebration. After a month of fasting, these sweets, made from such ingredients, were perfect for replenishing the body’s strength and energy.
As Islam spread worldwide, each culture adapted its local ingredients to create special sweets for Eid al-Fitr. Today, there are many different foods and sweets made specifically for this blessed occasion. Below, we introduce various Eid al-Fitr sweets from different cultures:
Baklava is not only the most delicious sweet for Eid al-Fitr, but it is also widely enjoyed throughout the year for different occasions. Baklava is originally a traditional and local sweet from Turkey. If you visited Istanbul during the Ottoman Empire, you would have seen trays of baklava in pastry shops. Today, it remains a major part of the Eid al-Fitr and Ramadan feast, holding a special place for Turks.
In Morocco, this sweet is called Briouat and is known in Arab countries as Sambusa Hilwa. It is a triangular-shaped pastry filled with sweet ingredients. Fruits like pears and apples or nuts soaked in syrup are the most popular fillings for this sweet. It can also be filled with cream.
Dates are already a delicious food, but during Eid al-Fitr, many prefer to stuff them with ingredients like various nuts, tahini, butter, cream cheese, or a pastry dough made with honey, nuts, and rosewater. Many Muslims also believe that dates should be the first food consumed on Eid al-Fitr.
Kunafa, or Kunfeh, is a delicious dessert that is mostly made in countries like Egypt and Turkey. This dessert is made using very thin semolina dough, sweet syrup, and layers of cheese, and is very popular in Arab countries. This Eid sweet is enjoyed at other times of the year as well.
In Egypt, buttery cookies filled with dates and topped with sugar are a favorite treat for Eid al-Fitr. In other countries, such as Palestine, a type of date cookie called Maamoul is very popular for Eid al-Fitr, while Indonesians prefer cookies filled with pineapple jam.
Savya is another delicious sweet popular for Eid al-Fitr among South Asians. This dessert is made by frying vermicelli with butter, sugar, and fragrant spices like cardamom. Many families enjoy Savya for breakfast right after the Eid prayers. A similar dessert called Sheer Khurma is also made using vermicelli, cooked in milk, and served either hot or cold depending on individual tastes.
Butter cookies shaped like crescents and flavored with vanilla, chocolate, cardamom, lemon, almonds, and other flavors are also among the popular sweets consumed during Eid al-Fitr.
Kuih Lapis is a delicious steamed cake, mostly made in Southeast Asia for Eid al-Fitr. This cake is made using rice flour, sago, coconut milk, eggs, and sugar. It is a colorful, jelly-like cake that resembles custard and comes in various types. The most popular variant is the Lapis cake, especially enjoyed during Eid al-Fitr.
In Central Asian countries, especially Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, Nishalu is a staple during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr. This delicious sweet is made with egg whites, sugar, and licorice root and is served as a dessert at the end of meals.
Nougan is a very delicious sweet with roots in Central Asia and Iran. This sweet later spread to Saudi Arabia and Andalusia (Spain) and has been consumed by Muslims during Eid al-Fitr for at least two centuries.
As mentioned earlier, Eid al-Fitr is called "Sweet Eid" because of the variety of delicious sweets consumed during the holiday. One of the best-known Iranian sweets served for Eid al-Fitr is Saffron Honey Sweets. This sweet is made with honey, saffron, and various nuts, making it an ideal treat to celebrate the end of a month of fasting.
Ghraibiyeh is another popular sweet for Eid al-Fitr. This tasty butter cookie, popular among Lebanese people, is flavored with orange blossom water and topped with almonds or walnuts.
Raisin cookies are a popular treat often made for celebrations and special occasions. They are easy to make and are frequently seen on tables during Eid al-Fitr.
Eid al-Fitr is one of the largest celebrations for Muslims, especially in countries like Saudi Arabia. Various cultures have their own unique sweets and treats to mark this special day. In this article, we’ve introduced 12 of the most popular sweets for Eid al-Fitr from different cultures. What sweet do you celebrate Eid al-Fitr with in your region?
