This Sunday, almost a billion Muslims around the world celebrate the main Islamic holiday – the Day of Sacrifice, also known as Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr.
Every Muslim who has the means to do so is obliged to sacrifice an animal, and one person can limit himself to a sheep, while one head of cattle is enough for a group of up to ten adherents of Islam. In this case, the animal must be young enough and without physical defects. Two-thirds of the victim’s meat should be distributed to the poor, and the rest goes to the family’s festive meal.
The sacrifice is performed by Muslims in memory of how the Prophet Ibrahim was ready to sacrifice his son Ismail to the Almighty to prove his devotion to God. However, the Almighty, having tested Ibrahim, stopped the hand raised over his son and sent Ibrahim a white lamb, which was sacrificed.
During Eid al-Adha, it is customary to wear the best clothes, visit friends, give gifts, and visit the graves of loved ones.
In Saudi Arabia, the sacrifice holiday is the culmination of the Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to the holy sites of Mecca and Medina. This year, more than 1.5 million believers gathered there.
