A day of ‘fasting’ with your Muslim colleague and more and more people who celebrate Keti Koti: traditions not only ensure mutual connection, but can also connect different cultures or groups of people.
The Dutch value history through national commemorations, holidays, traditions and customs, according to research carried out two years ago by the Social and Cultural Planning Office into the Dutch identity. Moreover, according to tradition expert Ineke Strouken, traditions ensure that we be rooted in society†
But in the meantime, different traditions also seem to be ‘merging’ a bit. For example, the Islamic actor Nasrdin Dchar posted a photo on Instagram a few years ago next to the Christmas tree in his house with the text ‘I love Christmas’.
At the time, the actor told the AD that he feels Muslim, but also has ‘love for the Christmas period’. “I’ve been taking a Christmas tree for years. Because for me it is separate from religion.”
Sign of integration
The Turkish-Dutch publicist Enis Odaci as Said Bouharrou, vice-chairman of the Council of Moroccan Mosques, told the newspaper that more and more Muslims in the Netherlands are putting up a Christmas tree.
“Not all Muslims will feel the need to do something about Christmas, but it is a misconception that the Christmas tree is a religious symbol. It stands for coziness, and it is a sign of integration if Muslims have it in the living room.”
Fasting for a day
Conversely, Islamic traditions also seem to reach non-believers in the Netherlands. Now that Ramadan has started, colleagues of Muslims are increasingly fasting ‘with them for a day’.
This also applies to the Haarlem pokébowl restaurant Malu. “A third of the people participate”, employee Max Witteman tells the NOS† “Most say they want to participate for a day, others want to try for longer.”
Witteman himself took part a few years ago. “What I found most difficult at the time was the fact that I was not allowed to smoke. I had a lot of trouble with that. But it turned out well, because I then stopped smoking for a while.”
According to Abdelaziz Aouragh, marketer targeting Muslims, more and more people are fasting due to the popularity of intermittent fastingie the fasting diet.
“The belief that this has a certain health benefit reduces the bridge to experience Ramadan. Then I explain: Ramadan is more than fasting, it’s about improving your character and being grateful.”
Keti Kotic
The Surinamese holiday Keti Koti is also celebrated by more and more people. In the 1960s, the party about the abolition of slavery was only celebrated in Suriname, now both Amsterdam and Rotterdam have a slavery monument, the celebration is broadcast live on TV.
In addition, the city council of Alkmaar called on the House of Representatives last year to elevate the party to a national holiday. “Alkmaar annually reflects on Keti Koti. Nevertheless, the college notes that, despite the national commemoration, there is still a lot to improve on regarding our shared history and awareness of the impact of the slavery past,” the municipality said. know at the time in a press release.
According to tradition expert Strouken, it is logical that we adopt traditions from migrant groups living in our country. “Because rituals give meaning to moments in life that should not pass unnoticed. They help us to deal with difficult and important moments. What is new is that people nowadays choose the traditions and rituals that they find suitable for themselves. no longer blindly adopt these from previous generations.”
More colorful and exciting
According to Strouken, in order to function well in society, we need basic knowledge about ourselves and the people we live with.
“To understand each other, we need to know the meaning of each other’s most important traditions and rituals. Moreover, it is nice to know more about traditions. Traditions are a bit like the gravy on the stew; it makes life more colorful and exciting. And if you understand where the origins of all these Dutch traditions lie, living together becomes easier.”