Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice | Religious Matters

Muslims around the world have begun celebrating Eid al-Adha, the “Festival of the Sacrifice”, which takes place on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah, the 12th and last month of the Muslim lunar calendar.

One of the biggest holidays in the Islamic calendar, it coincides with the last day of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

In Gaza, where Israel’s months-long offensive has destroyed neighborhoods and displaced many people, many families are celebrating Eid in tents and crowded shelters, with little meat or festive clothing.

More than 1.7 million people are taking part in the Hajj this year, from 2025, although the war between the United States and Israel against Iran casts a long shadow over the Middle East.

On Tuesday, pilgrims prayed at Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad is believed to have given his last sermon. He then spent the night outside in Muzdalifah, between Arafat and Mina, where he collected symbolic stones for throwing stones at Satan.

After the stone carving ceremony in Mina, pilgrims return to Mecca for a final circumambulation of the Kaaba, the cube-shaped building at the center of the Grand Mosque where Muslims around the world meet for prayer.

Eid al-Adha is the remembrance of the Qur’anic story of Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail as an act of obedience to God. Islamic tradition says that God saved the boy, replacing him with a ram.

The day is marked by the sacrifice of an animal – usually a sheep, a goat or a cow – and the distribution of its meat among families, neighbors and the needy, emphasizing the themes of the celebration of faith, love and humanity.