Eid al-Adha: What is it and how is it being celebrated?

• What is Eid?

There are two Eids celebrated each year in the Islamic calendar.

In May 2021 starting on the evening of May 12 and ending on the evening of May 13, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr, which is also known as the festival of breaking fast.

It is typically celebrated at the end of the Muslim month of fasting, called Ramadan.

The second Eid, called Eid al-Adha, which is also known as the “festival of sacrifice”, is marked around two months later at the same time when many Muslims perform the Hajj pilgrimage.

Eid al-Adha starts on the evening of July 19, 2021 and runs until the evening of July 23, 2021.

• How is Eid al-Fitr celebrated?

Under normal circumstances, the day starts with a morning prayer at a mosque and is then followed by family and friends coming together to eat.

Eid al-Fitr typically lasts around three days.

• How is Eid al-Adha celebrated?

Eid al-Adha is celebrated by sacrificing a sheep or a goat as a reminder of Ibrahim's obedience to Allah.

Across the UK, the animal must be killed at a slaughterhouse. After that, the meat is then shared out among family, friends and the poor, with each getting a third share.

Muslims go to the mosque for prayers, and it is obligatory to donate money to charity to help the poor to allow them to join in the celebrations.

• Does Eid take place at the same time each year?

Much like Easter Sunday in the Christian calendar, Eid does not fall on the same day every year.

Instead, Eid and the period of Ramadan are both dictated by a new moon, as Islam follows the lunar calendar.

• Will Eid be different this year?

According to the Press Association, The Muslim Council of Britain said many of the usual festivities, including large indoor gatherings, will not be possible due to the Covid-19 restrictions in place across the UK.

However, people can still take part in Covid-19-safe Eid prayers at their local mosque and have meals outdoors.