How Do You Say Happy Eid Al-Adha? - Birmingham Live

How do you say Happy Eid al-Adha?

Muslims around the world are preparing for the second Eid of the Islamic year - but how do you wish someone a happy Eid al-Adha?

CommentsNewsTalya Honebeek Content Editor - Spare Time06:00, 19 Jul 2021Updated 07:01, 19 Jul 2021

Eid al-Adha also referred to as Eid ul-Adha, is the ‘feast of sacrifice’.

‌

It is said to be the holier of the two Eids, marked by a day of celebrations with friends and family, with many Muslims also choosing to go to special prayers at their local mosque.

‌

The religious festival coincides with Dhul Hijjah , the final month in the Islamic calendar, and comes just over two months after Eid al-Fitr, the ‘festival of the breaking of the fast,’ which is celebrated at the end of Ramadan.

‌

READ MORE: How many days is Eid 2021? Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Adha holidays explained

The exact date of the celebrations is based on the lunar calendar and changes each year, but is currently expected to start on July 19 this year.

But why is Eid al-Adha celebrated and what is the traditional greeting?

‌

How to say Happy Eid al-Adha?

If you want to wish somebody a ‘Happy Eid,’ the traditional way would be to greet them by saying ‘Eid Mubarak’.

This is the Arabic greeting observers use to wish each other well during both the Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha celebrations.

The Arabic word ‘mubarak’ means ‘blessed,’ while ‘Eid’ translates as festival or feast, so the literal translation of ‘Eid Mubarak’ is ‘blessed celebration’ or ‘blessed feast’.

‌

Despite its official meaning, the phrase is also widely accepted and interpreted as ‘happy Eid’.

What is Eid al-Adha and why is it celebrated?

Also known as the ‘feast of sacrifice,’ Eid al-Adha is an annual celebration to honour the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim to obey Allah’s commands for him to sacrifice his son.

However, before Ibrahim could carry out his request, Allah produced a lamb for him to sacrifice instead.

‌

This is commemorated with a traditional act known as Qurbani, which sees an animal sacrificed and divided into three parts, with one part given to the poor, one to the family at home and one to relatives.

Eid al-Adha is the second of the two Eids following Eid al-Fitr roughly two months previous, and coincides with the end of Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Like Eid al-Fitr, the date of Eid al-Adha changes each year and is dependent on the Islamic lunar calendar and the sighting of the crescent moon, which varies between countries.

Article continues below

This means that the estimated start and end dates for Eid al-Adha 2021 are currently Monday, July 19 and Friday, July 23, though the exact date will depend on local religious authorities.

READ MORE: Dhul Hijjah 2021 - the month of Eid ul Adha, when is it and what does it mean?READ MORE: Bakra Eid and Kurban Bayrami dates for 2021 - when to expect the celebrations