Facts About Eid al-Adha 🕌

Eid al-Adha is the second of the two main festivals in Islam, alongside Eid al-Fitr. It falls on the 10th of Dhu’l-Hijja, the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar. Celebrations and observances are generally carried forward to the three following days, known as the Tashreeq days.

📖 Meaning and Names

The Arabic word عيد (ʿīd) means ‘festival’, ‘celebration’, ‘feast day’, or ‘holiday’. The holiday is called عيد الأضحى (Eid-al-Adha) or العيد الكبير (Eid-al-Kabir) in Arabic. The words أضحى (aḍḥā) and قربان (qurbān) are synonymous in meaning ‘sacrifice’ (animal sacrifice), ‘offering’ or ‘oblation’.

🐑 Religious Significance

In Islamic tradition, it honours the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God’s command. According to Islamic tradition, one of the main trials of Abraham’s life was to receive and obey the command of God to sacrifice his eldest son, Ishmael. Muslims overwhelmingly reject the Biblical claim that Isaac, Abraham’s second son, was supposed to have been the designated victim.

🕋 Rituals and Practices

As with Eid al-Fitr, the Eid prayer is performed on the morning of Eid al-Adha, after which the udhiyah or the ritual sacrifice of a livestock animal, is performed. Pilgrims performing the Hajj typically perform the tawaf and saee of Hajj on Eid al-Adha, along with the ritual stoning of the Devil on the Eid day and the following days. Muslims are expected to dress in their finest clothing to perform Eid prayer in a large congregation in an open waqf field called Eidgah or mosque.

🌍 Global Celebrations

In Bangladesh, estimates indicate about 13 million animals are sacrificed each year during Eid Al Adha. In Pakistan, applying henna is a famous tradition amongst women, and children receive Eidi, which is money and gifts given from elders. In the Middle East, traditional sweets are made, and in African nations, gifts are given among friends and family is invited to feasts.

Region	Name	Tradition	Key Practice
Arab World	Eid al-Adha / Eid al-Kabir	Sacrifice of livestock	Eid prayer and khutbah
Turkey	Kurban Bayramı	Animal sacrifice	Family gatherings
Bangladesh	Korbanir Eid	Decorating animals with garlands	Traditional meat dishes
Pakistan	Eid al-Azha	Applying henna	Giving Eidi to children

🕌 Eid al-Adha is the Islamic festival of sacrifice commemorating Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son. The holiday involves prayer, animal sacrifice, and the distribution of meat to family, friends, and the poor. The date varies annually on the Gregorian calendar due to the lunar Islamic calendar being approximately eleven days shorter than the solar calendar.