German authorities congratulate Muslims on Ramadan
The Bundestag congratulated Muslims on Ramadan – yet the start of Great Lent for Catholics, which fell on the same date, went unmentioned.
On February 18, 2026, the German government congratulated Muslims on the beginning of Ramadan – the message was posted on the official Facebook account of the Federal Government, Bundesregierung.
The post stated: “Today the fasting month of Ramadan begins – and with it, for many Muslims, a time of inner focus. Yet Ramadan is not only fasting, but also a living sense of community through breaking the fast together. We wish all Muslims a blessed month of fasting: Ramadan Mubarak.”
The greeting was published on the first day of the Islamic fast. Meanwhile, February 18, 2026, is Ash Wednesday – the day Catholics begin Great Lent. Social media users pointed out that the federal government’s message contained no mention of the start of the Christian fasting season, despite the overlapping of dates. Germany is home to about 20 million Catholics – roughly a quarter of the population.
An active debate erupted under the post. Within the first hours, users left more than 20,000 comments. Some subscribers expressed bewilderment that Christians were not acknowledged. Comments included lines such as: “Great Lent for Christians begins today. But apparently that’s not so important?” and “Just a reminder: the Christian fast has started too!”
Others called for equal attention to all religious communities. One commenter, for instance, wrote: “It would be good to wish a happy fast to everyone whose fast begins today – both Christians and Muslims.” The discussion of the post spilled into a broader argument about whether the state’s public communications treat representatives of different confessions with equal consideration.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that, according to the World of Statistics service, the name Mohammed has become the most popular among newborn boys in Europe’s largest cities.
