This Friday was a significant holiday for Muslims all around the world known as Eid al-Adha or Festival of Sacrifice. Today I'm going to show you guys the purpose behind the celebration, and my personal favorites of the holiday.
The creation of the holiday came from Abraham's willingness to kill his first son, Ishmael, due to God's will. Of course before this occurred, his son was replaced by a ram. This story is similar to ones present in other religions besides Islam, as you can tell.
One basic tradition kept in this holiday, is that if a family has the means (wealth) they sacrifice an animal to symbolize Abraham's willingness (cow, goat and etc). This practice is known as Qurbani. Also, just like any other religious holiday there are many prayers involved throughout the day. You also tend to visit family and close friends and invite each other to eat at your house on this holiday as well.
At my house, we tend to have the same daily schedule when it comes to religious holidays and we rarely have a nuance of change present. The day normally consists of eating our way through a huge compilation of dishes courtesy of my Mom, participating in the prayers, and having my best friend's family come over.
Besides being an amazing cook, my mom always makes the dresses that my sisters and I wear for the day. And for those of you who are curious, below is a picture of what my little sister and I were wearing. (I apologize for my older sister who tends to shy away from as many pictures as possible).
Another great thing about the holiday is that my sisters and I are a lot more amicable to each other than normal. It's certainly refreshing to not have a heated debate take place every 10-15 minutes.
Overall, I enjoy the holiday myself because it brings my family closer as well as my friend's, and it also reminds me why I'm content with the religion I currently have. I'd compare this holiday to Thanksgiving and there would be little difference present between the two.
On an off note, I hope you all enjoyed your weekend, and brace yourself for the whole new week ahead.
