Eid Mubarak to all who are celebrating!! Eid al-Adha marks the end of Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, which is one of the five pillars of Islam and obligatory for those who are financially and physically able to complete it at least once in their lifetime. Eid al-Adha, which translates to "festival of sacrifice", is a four-day celebration that falls on the tenth day of the 12th month of the Islamic lunar calendar, known as Dhu al-Hijjah. Because Islam uses the lunar calendar, the date for Eid changes every year depending on the sighting of the new moon, which signals the start of the month.
The festival is symbolic of an important story within Islamic tradition. It celebrates the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ishmael in obedience to a command of Allah (God), but Allah provided him with a lamb to slaughter instead, sparing him from heartbreaking sacrifice. The sacrifice is a reminder of the prophet’s willingness to give up something precious for the sake of Allah, and reminds Muslims to place their relationship with Allah before worldly concerns.
