What does Eid Mubarak mean and is there a reply?
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?
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.
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".
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.
When is Eid al-Adha?
The celebration of Eid al-Adha begins on the evening of July 18 and ends on July 23 in 2021.
Eid celebrations continue for different lengths of time in different cultures.
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In Qatar, for example, they celebrate for 11 days. While Oman enjoys a nine-day party.
In the Islamic lunar calendar, Eid al-Adha takes place on the 10th day of the 12th month and lasts for four days until the 13th day.
Muslims begin their celebrations with morning prayers, followed by food and exchanging of gifts with family and friends.
They also share their food and money with the poor so that they can celebrate too.