Muslims around the world have started celebrating Eid al-Adha, known as the “Feast of Sacrifice,” which falls on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah, the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the most significant holidays for Muslims, coinciding with the last day of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
In Gaza, Israel's months-long offensive has devastated many residential areas and displaced most of the population. Many families are observing Eid in cramped tents and shelters, lacking meat and festive clothing.
More than 1.7 million people are participating in this year's Hajj, a slight increase from 2025, even as the US-Israel war with Iran casts a shadow over the Middle East.
On Tuesday, pilgrims prayed on Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad is believed to have delivered his final sermon. They then spent the night outdoors at Muzdalifah, located between Arafat and Mina, where they collected pebbles for the symbolic stoning of the devil.
After the stoning ritual at Mina, pilgrims return to Mecca to circle the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure at the center of Islam's holiest mosque, toward which Muslims worldwide face when praying.
Eid al-Adha commemorates the Quranic story of the Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail as an act of obedience to God. According to Islamic tradition, God spared the boy and substituted a ram.
The holiday is marked by the ritual sacrifice of an animal—typically a sheep, goat, or cow—and the distribution of its meat to family, neighbors, and the poor, underscoring the festival's themes of faith, charity, and community.
