Eid al-Adha
Eid al-Adha ( Arabic : عيد الأضحى , romanized : ʿīd al-ʾaḍḥā , lit. 'Feast of the Sacrifice', also called the " Festival of the Sacrifice ", is the second of two Islamic holidays celebrated worldwide each year (the other being Eid al-Fitr ), and considered the holier of the two. It honors the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismael as an act of obedience to God's command. But, before Ibrahim could sacrifice his son, God provided a lamb to sacrifice instead. In commemoration of this intervention, an animal, usually a sheep, is sacrificed ritually and divided into three parts. One share is given to the poor and needy, another is kept for home, and the third is given to relatives. In the Islamic lunar calendar , Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah , and lasts for four days. In the international (Gregorian) calendar , the dates vary from year to year shifting approximately 11 days earlier each year. Other Names