Eid al-Adha, the festival of sacrifice, is the second of the two major Islamic holidays of the year, usually falling around two months after Eid al-Fitr, the three-day festival at the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Eid al-Adha, or the Big Eid, lasts four days, with the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in western Saudi Arabia marking the end of the festival.
This year, Eid al-Adha begins on Saturday 9th July and ends on Wednesday 13 July. The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, meaning the dates of annual events vary in accordance with the phases of the moon.
Eid al-Adha takes place on the 10th day of the final month of the Islamic calendar, Dhu al-Hijjah, which is the 12th and most sacred month of the Islamic year. It is during Dhu al-Hijjah that observant Muslims travel to Mecca for Hajj - all able-bodied adults of the Islamic faith are expected to complete Hajj at least once in their lifetimes.
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Eid al-Adha (Eid meaning "feast" or "festival" and Adha meaning "sacrifice") celebrates the prophet Ibrahim who was commanded by Allah to sacrifice his son Ismail as evidence of his faith. Despite discouragement from the devil, Ibrahim obeyed Allah's command - but before he could kill his own son, Ismail had been replaced with a ram.
Because Ibrahim was able to avoid the heartbreaking sacrifice by slaughtering the ram instead of Ismail, Eid al-Adha is celebrated, by those with the means, with the symbolic sacrifice of an animal, such as a cow or goat. The meat is then shared with friends, family and those less fortunate.
How to wish someone a happy Eid
The phrase widely used to wish someone a happy Eid during Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr is Eid Mubarak. In Arabic, this phrase translates to mean “Blessed Eid”. People give gifts for Eid, food gifts including dry fruit and nut boxes, chocolate, biscuits and other sweet foods are a popular gift option.
How is the festival celebrated?
As part of the celebration of Eid al-Adah, observant Muslims generally sacrifice either a sheep, lamb, goat, cow, bull, or camel. This act of worship is called Qurbani or Qurban.
In many majority-Muslim countries where people personally commit the sacrifice, the meat is generally split into three portions: one is to be eaten by the family, one for relatives and friends and one to be shared among the disadvantaged. Many people tend to volunteer their entire Qurbani to those who are less fortunate and do not have access to meat to feed themselves or their families.
In Ireland, the UK and other Western countries, Muslims don't sacrifice the animals themselves. Instead, they'll usually pay charity organisations that will facilitate the Qurbani in countries overseas. After the animals are sacrificed, their meat is distributed to poor and vulnerable communities.
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