The Art of Belonging: A Day of Unity in Milan’s Municipality 9

Why Real Connection Requires Celebration

How do you get to know the “other”? Do you rely on what mainstream media tells you? Do you ask your family or friends? Do you swipe through reels, stories, and posts? No matter your method, the truth is that you can never truly know the “other” without celebrating alongside them.

When you consider how many non-Christians celebrate Christmas all over the globe, you get an idea of how important it is to engage others in your holidays, customs, traditions, and beliefs. Perhaps one day, it will be just as common for everyone to join their Muslim neighbors in celebrating Eid al-Fitr.

Eid in Milan: Bridging Cultures through Food and Family

A Milan-based community known as Darda(she) recently brought the people of Municipality 9 together to celebrate the end of the holy month of Ramadan. This gathering is not strictly religious, but rather a social one, offering those far from home a chance to celebrate together since they cannot attend the traditional, large family gatherings in their home countries.

This year’s event took place on March 22, 2026. Organized by local associations and the municipal government, the celebration aimed to foster social integration and strengthen neighborhood bonds through shared food, music, and activities for children. It was an inclusive event open to everyone, regardless of background. 

LiLi Community & Darda(she): Bilingual Literacy for a New Generation

This initiative is as much cultural as it is social. This year, LiLi Community was present to add a special cultural touch. We provided books and games in Arabic, as well as bilingual books in Italian and Arabic. Alongside Darda(she), our goal was to emphasize the importance of reading in one’s native language and to encourage children to explore the world through translated Arabic and bilingual literature.

Coexistence is not an abstract idea, but a daily practice of relationships and care

“The second edition of Eid al-Fitr in Milan’s Maciachini district was a day filled with initiatives - declared Rawan, activist from Darda(she) - marked by a strong presence of families and children, moments of meeting and exchange, and an atmosphere of shared celebration that animated Via Bernardino de Conti from afternoon until evening, featuring music, creative workshops, and readings.

The Darda(she) collective curated the cultural programming with the goal of creating an inclusive, intergenerational space capable of valuing the diverse languages and cultures that inhabit the neighborhood. In this context, the participation of Lili Community was particularly significant. The bookstand, featuring Arabic and bilingual Arabic-Italian children’s books, sparked great interest and offered families and children the opportunity to engage with Arabic children’s literature.

The presence of Arabic-language books also represented an important gesture of recognition for the neighborhood’s linguistic and cultural plurality, helping to make Eid not just a religious holiday, but also a space for encounter and mutual understanding”.

A Note of Gratitude

A huge thank you goes to our community member, Talal El-Masri, for representing us and taking such wonderful care of both the books and the children. His dedication made this cultural exchange possible.

We have prepared a video summarizing the celebration so that you can experience the atmosphere even if you couldn’t be there. Enjoy!