Eid al-Adha is an Islamic festival that commemorates Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son to God. It marks the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and involves the ritual sacrifice of halal animals to be distributed to friends, family, and the less fortunate. While not a federal holiday in the US, Eid al-Adha is celebrated by many American Muslims through prayers, social gatherings, and traditional clothing and food sharing.

1. Eid al-Adha
Donald W. Reid 2012

2. Donald W. Reid 2012
Islam has two major holidays, Eid al-Fitr (Post-Fasting Festival)
and Eid al-Adha. Many Muslims in the United States observe Eid
al-Adha, also known as the Feast of Sacrifice, each year. This
festival commemorates Ibrahim’s (Abraham) willingness to
sacrifice his son to God. This festival also marks the end of the
Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

3. Donald W. Reid 2012
Quick Facts
Eid al-Adha is an Islamic festival to mark Ibrahim's willingness
to follow Allah's command to sacrifice his son. It is celebrated
around the 10th to 13th days of the Islamic month of Dhu al-
Hijjah.

4. Donald W. Reid 2012
The word Eid itself is an Arabic
word, whose root connotation is
‘that which comes back, time after
time, and rejoicing.’ Its particular
usage in Islam, for the two major
holidays, is because these two days
are meant to be days of rejoicing.

5. Donald W. Reid 2012
Eid al-Adha 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
Note: Regional customs or moon sightings may cause a
variation of the date for Islamic holidays, which begin at
sundown the day before the date specified for the holiday.
The Islamic calendar is lunar and the days begin at sunset,
so there may be one-day error depending on when the
New Moon is first seen.

6. Donald W. Reid 2012
What do people do?
Many Muslims in the United States celebrate Eid al-Adha
with prayers and social gatherings. The Eid al-Adha services
can attract thousands of Muslims in various places such as
Chicago (Illinois) and Orlando (Florida). Many Muslims of
many heritages, including North Africa, Pakistan, Eastern
Europe, wear traditional clothes and share their national
dishes. It is a time for prayer, sharing meals, handing out gifts
and wishing one another well.

7. Donald W. Reid 2012
Eid al-Adha follows from the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in
Saudi Arabia, in which Muslims are required to make at least
once in their lives. Eid al-Adha is also known as the Feast of
Sacrifice because it traditionally includes the sacrifice of an
animal permitted for food (eg. a lamb) as an act of
thanksgiving for God’s mercy, this food is then distributed to
friends, family and neighbors.

8. Donald W. Reid 2012
Some Muslims seek out a farm
where they can carry out the
sacrifice, but many also send
money to their native lands to
help fund a sacrifice. Eid al-
Adha lasts for up to three days
and is a time to seek mercy
from God.

9. Donald W. Reid 2012
Public life
Eid al-Adha is not a federal public holiday in
the United States. However, some Islamic
organizations may be closed or offer a
reduced level of service and there may be
some local traffic congestion around mosques.

10. Donald W. Reid 2012
Background
Eid al-Adha, also known as the Feast of
Sacrifice or Festival of Sacrifice,
commemorates accomplishment as
well as a reminder of when Ibrahim
(Abraham) was willing to sacrifice his
son to God, according to Islamic belief.
The United States government issued
postage stamps to commemorate Eid
al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha in previous
years. These stamps aimed to highlight
the business, educational and social
contributions that Muslims made in
the United States.

11. Donald W. Reid 2012
Sharing a meal during Eid
al-Adha or providing to
charities during Eid al-
Adha is a good time for
Law Enforcement to
introduce themselves and
become more familiar
with those in their local
Muslim communities.