Ramadan is HARAM For Uyghur Muslims, But Chinese New Year is HALAL
“Xinjiang people are Chinese too. As part of the Chinese nation, how could we not celebrate Spring Festival?”
Source: Douyin video by Uncle Omar. Caption reads ‘Do people in Xinjiang celebrate the Spring Festival?’ Posted on February 8, 2026, Chinese-occupied East Turkistan.
Subtitled and Transcript by Kashgar Times.
“Do Xinjiang people celebrate Spring Festival? Of course we do! We celebrate it grandly and festively. Spring Festival belongs to all - it's the most important holiday for the Chinese nation. Xinjiang people are Chinese too. As part of the Chinese nation, how could we not celebrate Spring Festival? It's just that we might celebrate it a bit differently. We celebrate together - singing, dancing, exchanging blessings and New Year's greetings. Every year at the Spring Festival Gala, there's that big performance with all 56 ethnic groups. Which year have you seen Xinjiang people not participate? We Xinjiang people are part of the Chinese nation - all 56 groups united together as one. And every ethnic group can celebrate it. I've even prepared raisins from our hometown for you. Do you eat during New Year's? Yes. Do you give gifts? Do you visit your elders? Of course. Come to my livestream.”
Word for word scripted videos
In recent weeks, Kashgar Times has reviewed hundreds of videos circulating on Chinese social media platforms. Clip after clip shows Uyghur Muslims preparing to celebrate Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival.
This year, Ramadan and Spring Festival begin at almost the same time. For a predominantly Muslim people, Ramadan is the most spiritually significant month of the year. It is a month of fasting, prayer, charity, and reflection. You would expect to see something of that online. Families cleaning their homes and Moon-sighting announcements to indicate the beginning of fasting. Not one clip of an Uyghur family preparing for Ramadan could be found. In contrast, videos celebrating Spring Festival are abundant and amplified.
The content is strikingly uniform.
“Xinjiang people are Chinese too. As part of the Chinese nation, how could we not celebrate Spring Festival?”
“We celebrate it grandly and festively.”
“All 56 ethnic groups united together as one.”
“We Chinese people should be like pomegranate seeds packed tightly together.”
Source: Douyin video caption ‘Do people in Xinjiang celebrate the Spring Festival?’ Posted on February 11, 2026, in Aksu, Chinese-occupied East Turkistan.
Subtitled and Transcript by Kashgar Times.
“We’re Uyghur girls from Xinjiang. My name is Marguba. And my name is Meihe Riban. We celebrate it big—not just celebrate, but celebrate grandly and festively. Spring Festival is China’s most important and grandest holiday. We Xinjiang people are part of the Chinese nation too. It’s just that we Xinjiang people might celebrate a bit differently—there are some differences. We Xinjiang people get together to sing and dance. We don’t say blessings—we say New Year’s greetings. Which Spring Festival Gala doesn’t have performances with all 56 ethnic groups coming together? And when have we Xinjiang people ever not participated? We Chinese people should be like pomegranate seeds—packed tightly together. And every ethnic group can celebrate.”
Across multiple videos, these lines appear almost word for word. Different speakers repeat the same phrasing, the same rhetorical questions, the same references to the “56 ethnic groups” and the metaphor of “pomegranate seeds.” One influencer invites viewers to a livestream while explaining that “Spring Festival belongs to all.” Another insists that “Spring Festival transcends ethnicity.” Two sisters stress that they are Uyghur, then immediately affirm that they are part of the Chinese nation and therefore celebrate the holiday enthusiastically.
Historically, Uyghur Muslims did not celebrate Chinese New Year as a cultural or religious holiday. Uyghur cultural life revolved around Islamic holidays such as Ramadan and the two Eids. Over the past decade, however, participation in state-promoted celebrations has increasingly become a visible expectation and the absence of Ramadan content is just as telling as the presence of Chinese New Year content.
Source: Douyin video caption ‘The whole village’s New Year performance ended as soon as we arrived…’ Posted on February 16, 2026, Chinese-occupied East Turkistan.
Subtitled and Transcript by Kashgar Times.
“Hey everyone, I’m Yaya. Many friends have been asking in the comments, do you celebrate Spring Festival? Today, I’m here to tell you that Xinjiang people absolutely celebrate Spring Festival too! And we celebrate it big time, with lots of excitement and festivities. Spring Festival transcends ethnicity—it’s the most important and grandest festival for all Chinese people. Xinjiang people are Chinese too, and as part of the Chinese nation, how could we not celebrate Spring Festival? It’s just that the way we celebrate might be a bit different. Xinjiang people love to gather together, singing and dancing every day, then everyone exchanges blessings and New Year’s greetings with each other. Every Spring Festival has those performances showcasing the unity of all 56 ethnic groups—have you ever seen a year when Xinjiang people weren’t part of it? We Xinjiang people are part of the Chinese nation, and like pomegranate seeds packed tightly together, we’re all united as one.”
As we have reported previously, Islamic practice in East Turkistan has been heavily restricted. Mosques have been demolished or repurposed. Religious education has been curtailed. Public expressions of faith have been penalized. Meanwhile, in other parts of China, Hui Muslims are generally able to observe Islamic practices with far fewer constraints.
Staged Ramadan
Chinese state-run broadcasters regularly air carefully produced segments showing Uyghurs dancing, singing, and eating during Islamic holidays. These segments are presented as proof that Uyghurs are free to celebrate their traditions. There are no wide shots of packed mosques. No scenes of collective Eid prayer. No communal breaking of the fast known as ‘Iftar’. The spiritual core of the holiday is missing, what remains is performance.
Assimilation and loyalty
The social media videos we reviewed follow the same formula. The speaker begins by acknowledging a common question: “Do Xinjiang people celebrate Spring Festival?” The answer is “Of course we do.” Then comes the affirmation of national belonging. “Xinjiang people are Chinese too.” Then the unity slogan. “All 56 ethnic groups together.” Then the pomegranate metaphor which emphasizes political loyalty over cultural authenticity. For nearly a decade, not a single authentic, freely shared image of Uyghur Ramadan life has circulated from East Turkistan.
By promoting national festivals like Spring Festival as universal and central, while restricting Islamic practice, the state reshapes public life. By replacing distinct Uyghur traditions with state-approved cultural markers, the regime aims to cultivate a population that identifies first and foremost with the Chinese nation.
Past Ramadans
To understand what has been lost from public view, it is worth recalling how Ramadan looked in East Turkistan just a decade ago.
Around 2015 and 2016, restrictions were already heavy. Government offices monitored religious practice. Students and civil servants faced pressure not to fast. Surveillance was increasing. Yet many families still tried to prepare for Ramadan quietly, often at personal risk.
Preparation began weeks, even months in advance, much like in Muslim communities around the world. Families baked naan bread and stocked up on dried fruits, lamb, flour, rice, and other staples to sustain fasting. Markets in cities such as Kashgar and Hotan were busy before the month began. Homes were cleaned thoroughly, both as practical preparation and as a sign of spiritual renewal. Those who could afford it gave food or money to poorer relatives and neighbors. Parents taught their children about fasting, prayer, and Islamic values, often in private conversations at home.
Even under tightening restrictions, people found ways to observe quietly. Some woke before dawn to eat in silence. Some avoided drawing attention to their fasting. Some reduced public religious expression while maintaining it at home.
Today, even these quiet traces are invisible.
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