What Does Eid Mubarak Mean And Is There A Reply? - The Sun

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MUSLIM devotees will be offering special prayers on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, which is a celebration of Ibrahim agreeing to sacrifice his son Ishmael under God’s command marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

The phrase “Eid Mubarak” gets used a lot by Muslims at this time, but what does the greeting mean, and is there a specific way to reply?

Eid al-Fitr prayers mark the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan

What does Eid Mubarak mean?

Eid Mubarak is a traditional Muslim greeting reserved for the holy festivals of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

“Eid” is Arabic for “celebration” and “mubarak” means “blessed”.

The saying can be translated as “have a blessed holiday”, or “blessed feast/festival”.

Eid is pronounced like “eed” as in the word “feed”.

Special emphasis is placed on “-barack” when enunciating the second part.

Children greet each other after offering Eid al-Fitr prayers which mark the end of Ramadan in Mumbai, India

Is there a reply?

It is then customary to reply “Khair Mubarak”.

This reciprocates good wishes in the hope they will also have a “blessed holiday.”

You could also say “JazakAllah Khair” which means thank you, but literally translates as “May Allah reward you with goodness”.

Eid al-Adha is a four-day religious festival celebrating forgiveness and sacrifice

What is Eid al-Adha?

Eid al-Adha usually starts with Muslims going to the Mosque for prayers in new finery.

As it is known as the ‘Festival of Sacrifice’, a sheep, goat, camel or cow is usually sacrificed during the period. This is called Qurbani.

In many countries this is done as part of a public ritual, but in the UK it takes place in a slaughterhouse.

The meat is shared equally between family, friends and the poor, along with a big feast of mostly savoury dishes.

Relatives will gather for the celebrations and exchange gifts, cards and money, as well as donating to charity.

Some Muslims will also travel to Mecca and the surrounding area in Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, which is one of the five pillars of Islam.