Overview
- Ash Wednesday on 18 February launches the 40‑day Lenten season in Western churches, concluding on Holy Saturday, 4 April.
- Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq and Lebanon set Wednesday as the first day of Ramadan, while Germany, Syria and Jordan begin on Thursday after local rulings.
- In Germany the fast runs until 20 March, when Eid al‑Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, and pupils in Hesse receive a day off for the feast.
- Ramadan calls for abstention from food, drink, smoking and sexual relations between dawn and sunset, with exemptions for children, the sick, pregnant people, the elderly and travelers.
- The overlap has spurred practical guidance and civic messages, including a Gelsenkirchen greeting that drew both appreciation and hostile online comments.