Why is Eid al-Adha celebrated?Įid al-Adha is celebrated to mark the end of Hajj, the final of the five pillars of Islam. This happens because a lunar year consists of approximately 354 days while a solar year usually has 365 days. When correlated to the solar Gregorian calendar, Eid al-Adha is a "moveable feast" taking place approximately 10-11 days earlier than it did the previous year. On the lunar Islamic calendar, Eid al-Adha is celebrated on the same date every year: 12/10 (the 10th day of the 12th lunar month, Dhul-Hijjah). Why does Eid al-Adha's date change every year? The three days after Eid al-Adha (the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah) are known as the Days of Tashreeq and are often considered a part of the holiday’s celebrations. So counting 10 days from the expected start of the lunar month, this year, Eid al-Adha will take place on Jof the Gregorian calendar.Įid al-Adha is typically a four-day holiday with celebrations lasting until the 13th of Dhul-Hijjah. If the moon is sighted, that will be the first day of Dhul-Hijjah.Įid al-Adha always takes place on the 10th day of Dhul-Hijjah. The crescent moon is forecast to arrive on Thursday, June 30. The date for Eid al-Adha is subject to sighting the new moon of Dhul-Hijjah, the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar. Once the start of Dhul-Hijjah is determined following the sighting of the crescent moon, the dates for Hajj and subsequently Eid al-Adha are officially announced. It’s usually a thin crescent visible to the naked eye a day or two after a new moon. The start of an Islamic month is determined by sighting the first phase of the moon, called a young moon. In a lunar calendar, the amount of time it takes for the moon to go through its phases is calculated as one lunar month. Say, ‘They are a means for people to determine time and pilgrimage.’” 2:189 As recited in the Quran: “They ask you about the phases of the moon. The dates for Muslim holidays and observances are determined by the lunar calendar. The tenth day of Dhul-Hijjah is when the holiday of Eid al-Adha takes place. During these days, the Hajj pilgrimage takes place in the sanctuary of Mecca and its nearby holy land. Although the whole month of Dhul-Hijjah is sacred, the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah are the most venerated days of the Islamic calendar - even holier than the days of Ramadan. Dhul-Hijjah, the last month in the year, is one of the sacred months. The Islamic year is made up of twelve months, with four months of the Islamic calendar distinguished as sacred. For practicing Muslims, the most sacred time of the year is almost here.
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