Eid al-Adha a Muslim religious holiday which coincides with the Hajj, or the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Every year nearly two million Muslims visit Mecca on a religious pilgrimage.
Eid al-Adha starts on Friday Oct. 26 this year and CNN reported that holiday is a commemoration of when God appeared to Abraham, which is known as Ibrahim to Muslims in a dream. CNN reports that Ibrahim asked him to sacrifice his son "as an act of obedience. As Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, God stopped him and gave him a sheep to kill in place of his son. A version of the story also appears in the Torah and in the Bible's Old Testament."
The Holiday starts on Friday Oct. 26 and ends on Monday which is the last day of the Hajj. Eid al-Adha is also known as the Feast of Sacrifice.
Traditions
During Eid al-Adha some Muslim families may sacrifice sheep and share the meat with the poor and they also often donate to charities during this time. They normally have a celebratory dinner as well with the meet from the sacrificed sheep.
Eid Mubarack and Eid Saeed are two common phrases used during this time. The festival starts on the 10th day of the last day on the Islamic calender.
The pilgramage to Mecca, which is Muhammad's birthplace, is one that is extremely sacred and one that Muslims typically make at least once in their lifetimes.
"Hajj is considered as one of the five pillars of Islam and the largest act of mass pilgrimage in the world. The holy pilgrimage is also a demonstration of Muslims' unity and their submission to Allah," reports Press TV.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
