Eid Al-Adha

What is Eid Al-Adha?
Eid Al-Adha, or the “Festival of the Sacrifice” is the second Islamic festival of the year. It falls on the 10th day of the last month of the Islamic calendar (Dhu’l-Hijjah) – the month in which the holy pilgrimage (Hajj) takes place.
The festival celebrates and commemorates sacrifice and charity. It honours the willingness of the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God’s command. Before Abraham sacrificed his son, God provided a lamb to sacrifice instead.
The festival is celebrated by Muslims all over the world with prayers, charity giving and celebrations with family and friends (and lots and lots of food!).
Sacrifice is a big part of the celebrations, affluent Muslims who can afford it, slaughter a sheep or goat in honour of the date. The sacrificial meat is then divided into thirds; the family retains one-third of the share; another third is given to relatives, friends, and neighbors; and the remaining third is given to the poor.
While Eid al-Adha is always on the same day of the Islamic calendar, the date on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year since the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar.
This year, Eid al-Adha is due to begin on 21 August and end on 25 August, However the exact day will depend on the sighting of the moon.
Eid Mubarak to everyone at CRUK.