Eid is a worldwide celebration for Muslims to embrace the end of the long fasting and praying month of Ramadan. There are two Eid’s that are especially important to the Muslim community. One of them is Eid-ul-Fitr which in other terms means the festival to break the fast. After Muslims have fasted for the whole month praying and trying to reconnect spiritually with Allah, they have to mark the end of fast by holding celebrations all over the world. The celebrations start by holding prayers held in major Mosques and follow to party and sharing their material wealth with the less fortunate people in our society.

The other name for Eid-ul-Fitr is Lesser Eid which is determined by the sight of the moon. It is a day of reflection and starting a new relationship with Allah, friends, families and the society. In the Muslim society, this day brings joy and happiness. The rejoicing is at the end of the month which makes people feel happy for successfully completing an important task.

Traditionally, Eid is celebrated for 3 days continuous and is also a public holiday in majority of Muslim countries. On this important day, Muslims will gather together in fields, mosques and community center prior to spending the day with friends and family.

What is Eid al Adha?

Eid-al-Adha is also called festival of the Sacrifice. It is the second of the two most important holidays in the Islamic community. It is also considered the holier of the two celebrations. The celebration is based on the fact that Ibrahim was ready to sacrifice his only son. After manifesting his willingness to give his only son as a sacrifice for thanks giving to Allah, Allah gave him a lamb to sacrifice instead.

Today, Muslims sacrifice a sheep or a goat and the meat is shared among the family members, friends and the poor with each of them receiving a third of the sacrificed sheep meat. In some countries, Muslims also slaughter animals but they have to adhere with the existing laws to ensure that the animal is slaughtered humanly.

Unlike Eid-al-Fitr, the Muslims start their day by reciting the Takbir and the celebrations only go for one day. They have to recite the Takbir early in the morning before dawn. Takbir on Eid-al-Adha should be recited before conducting the communal prayer Salat al-Eid.

On this beautiful occasion people also share Eid Wishes and Quotes with each other to share their feelings.

The end of Hajj

Eid-al-Adha also marks the end of Hajj-the five-day religious journey that takes Muslims to Mecca Saudi Arabia. This year, over 2 million Muslims made the Pilgrimage and attended the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Hajj is a very important part of the Islamic community because it is the fifth pillar of Islam. All physically fit Muslims are required to visit Makkah in Saudi Arabia. Muslims visit a Shrine known as Ka’bah in the city. Makkah is a place for all who want to affirm their faith. In some of the Muslim majority countries, Eid-al-Adha is marked as a public holiday to give Muslims a chance to celebrate and reaffirm their faith.