Eid-al-Adha in United States
Quick Facts
Eid al-Adha (Id ul-Adha) is a four-day Islamic festival starting on the 10th day of the month of Dhul Hijja (Thou al-Hijja) to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son. In 2008, Eid al-Adha is calculated to start on December 8.Name
Eid-al-AdhaEid-al-Adha 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008Eid-al-Adha 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009Note: Regional customs or moon sightings may cause a variation of the date for Islamic holidays, which begin at sundown the day before the date specified for the holiday. The Islamic calendar is lunar and the days begin at sunset, so there may be one-day error depending on when the New Moon is first seen.
See list of observations below
Animals are decorated in plastic jewellery for Eid al-Adha, a holiday celebrated in memory of Abraham's sacrifice. ©iStockphoto.com/Danish Khan
What do people do?
At Eid al-Adha, Muslims make a special effort to pray and listen to a sermon at a mosque. They also wear new clothes, visit family members and friends and may symbolically sacrifice an animal in an act known as qurbani. This represents the animal that Ibrahim sacrificed in the place of his son.
In some traditionally Muslim countries, families or groups of families may purchase an animal known as udhiya, usually a goat or sheep, to sacrifice, but this is not common or legal in most areas of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States or many other countries. In these countries, groups of people may purchase a whole carcass from a butcher or slaughterhouse and divide it amongst themselves or just buy generous portions of meat for a communal meal on Eid-al-Adha. People also give money to enable poorer members of their local community and around the world to eat a meat-based meal.
In the period around Eid al-Adha, many Muslims travel to Mecca and the surrounding area in Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. Package holidays are organized from many countries. Muslims may plan and save for many years to enable them to take part in this event, which is one of the five pillars of Islam.
Public life
Eid al-Adha is not a public holiday in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States and public life is generally not affected. However, some Islamic organizations may be closed or offer a reduced level of service and there may be some local congestion around mosques.
Background
Ibrahim, known as Abraham in the Christian and Jewish traditions, was commanded by God to sacrifice his adult son. He obeyed and took Ibrahim (or Isaac) to Mount Moriah. Just as he was to sacrifice his son, an angel stopped him and gave him a ram to sacrifice in place of his son. These events are remembered and celebrated at Eid al-Adha.
The Islamic calendar is based on observations of the moon and the length of a particular month can vary between years. For this reason, predicted dates of Eid al-Adha may be corrected at the start of the month of Dhul Hijja. This is around 10 days before the start of the festival.
Eid-al-Adha Observances
Note: Regional customs or moon sightings may cause a variation of the date for Islamic holidays, which begin at sundown the day before the date specified for the holiday. The Islamic calendar is lunar and the days begin at sunset, so there may be one-day error depending on when the New Moon is first seen.| Weekday | Date | Year | Name | Holiday type | Where it is observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Oct 20 | 1980 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Fri | Oct 9 | 1981 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Wed | Sep 29 | 1982 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Sun | Sep 18 | 1983 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Thu | Sep 6 | 1984 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Tue | Aug 27 | 1985 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Sat | Aug 16 | 1986 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Thu | Aug 6 | 1987 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Mon | Jul 25 | 1988 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Fri | Jul 14 | 1989 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Wed | Jul 4 | 1990 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Sun | Jun 23 | 1991 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Thu | Jun 11 | 1992 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Tue | Jun 1 | 1993 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Sat | May 21 | 1994 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Wed | May 10 | 1995 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Mon | Apr 29 | 1996 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Fri | Apr 18 | 1997 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Wed | Apr 8 | 1998 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Sun | Mar 28 | 1999 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Thu | Mar 16 | 2000 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Tue | Mar 6 | 2001 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Sat | Feb 23 | 2002 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Wed | Feb 12 | 2003 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Mon | Feb 2 | 2004 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Fri | Jan 21 | 2005 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Tue | Jan 10 | 2006 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Sun | Dec 31 | 2006 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Thu | Dec 20 | 2007 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Tue | Dec 9 | 2008 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Sat | Nov 28 | 2009 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Wed | Nov 17 | 2010 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Mon | Nov 7 | 2011 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Fri | Oct 26 | 2012 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Tue | Oct 15 | 2013 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Sun | Oct 5 | 2014 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim | |
| Thu | Sep 24 | 2015 | Eid-al-Adha | Muslim |
Other holidays in December 2008 in United States
- Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (Sunday, December 7, 2008)
- Immaculate Conception (Monday, December 8, 2008)
- Wright Brothers Day (Wednesday, December 17, 2008)
- Pan American Aviation Day (Wednesday, December 17, 2008)
- December Solstice (Sunday, December 21, 2008)
- First day of Chanukah (Monday, December 22, 2008)
- Christmas Day (Thursday, December 25, 2008)
- Kwanzaa (until Jan 1) (Friday, December 26, 2008)
- Last day of Chanukah (Monday, December 29, 2008)
- Muharram/New Year (Monday, December 29, 2008)
- New Year's Eve (Wednesday, December 31, 2008)
Other calendars
- Perpetual yearly calendar - make yearly calendar for any year
- Perpetual monthly calendar - shows only one month at a time
- Custom calendar - make customized calendars
