For the first time in 13 years of marriage, Sylvère Bassène won’t be sharing ngalakh, the beloved local dish he usually distributes “with great joy” to his Muslim neighbors and friends. The rising cost of living has forced Bassène, a Catholic living in Dakar, to give up the Easter tradition this year.

“Because of how expensive everything has become, we’ve decided not to make ngalakh this year,” he said, regretfully. The dish—a sweet blend of millet porridge and peanut paste—is more than just food. In Senegal, where Muslims make up the majority of the population, it’s a powerful symbol of religious harmony and Christian-Muslim dialogue.

During Easter, many Senegalese Catholics prepare ngalakh, a sweet, creamy Senegalese dish made from millet, peanut paste, baobab fruit, and sugar, in large batches and distribute it to neighbors, regardless of their faith. But this year, economic hardship is reshaping even the most cherished traditions.

Senegal has been grappling with high inflation and a spike in prices for basic goods, despite government efforts last June to reduce the cost of essential items. Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko recently said the administration had inherited a “collapsed state.” President Bassirou Diomaye Faye added in January that “there is virtually no budgetary or financial wiggle room left.”

Hard choices amid hard times

Those financial constraints are now affecting interfaith traditions. Martin Sarr, a public school teacher in Dakar, also announced that his family would forgo making ngalakh this year.

“It was a very hard decision,” he said. “But we had to do it because of how expensive life has become.” Sarr estimates he would normally spend nearly 200,000 CFA francs (about $300) just to prepare the dish, excluding other holiday expenses.

While the Bassène and Sarr families have opted to wait for better times, others are finding alternative ways to uphold the spirit of the tradition. With Easter overlapping this year with Ramadan, Marianne Badji donated sugar to her Muslim neighbors—a common practice in Senegal where Christians and Muslims often exchange gifts during their respective religious holidays.

“Since I couldn’t prepare the dish, I shared the sugar that was gifted to me during Lent,” she said, adding that she hopes her neighbors understand “everyone is going through a tough time.”

Preserving a tradition, no matter the cost

Some Catholics insist they’ll make ngalakh no matter what. The dish, they say, is too important to skip.

“It would be uncomfortable to stop something so symbolic of our peaceful coexistence,” said Simplice Denis Gomis. Even if it means taking out a bank loan, he’s determined to keep the tradition alive.

Aloyse Faye also considered a loan before scaling back. In the end, his family decided to make a small amount of ngalakh—enough, at least, for the children.

In a country where Christians and Muslims often share cemeteries, intermarry, and come together for both celebrations and hardships, the decision to continue or pause the tradition carries deep emotional weight.

“We’re making sacrifices,” Gomis said, “because this dish means more than just food. It’s who we are.”