Antwerp will set up a 2km-long dinner table for Easter and Ramadan

The city aims to break the previous Belgian record held by a table that was 1 kilometre in length

The City of Antwerp, and more specifically its Borgerhout district, has set its sights on breaking the record for the longest community dinner table this 31 March. The aim of the district authorities and the FMV cultural association is to have a table that is 2 kilometres long, doubling up on a previous record of 1 kilometre set last year.

What’s also interesting is that the initiative (called #2kmsamenaantafel in Flemish) is meant to serve as a type of coexistence and intra-communal tolerance project since the date 31 March this year falls both during the Catholic Easter and the Muslim Ramadan religious holidays.

Residents are invited to participate

All Borgerhout residents are invited to attend and participate in a way that can mark the celebration of both holidays and set a new record. People can register through the Facebook event page or the event’s website.

Participants are also invited to bring their own food and share it with other people. Alternatively, they can buy food from one of the participating merchants.

“FMV, with the other partners, wants to demonstrate that the cultural and religious diversity that Borgerhout has to offer can actually be uniting. And food is the ideal instrument,” says Latifa El Morabit, general coordinator of the event.

The enormous table will be able to host between 6,000 and 8,000 diners and the official start of the dinner will be given at 20:14. This is when the sun will set on 31 March and those observing Ramadan can break their daily fast.

The event also aims to be environmentally friendly promoting itself as zero waste thanks to the use of only reusable materials. In addition, diners are asked to be mindful of the amount of food they bring in order to avoid unnecessary food waste.