Eid Festival

A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value, which is prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. A ritual may be performed on specific occasions, or at the discretion of individuals or communities. It may be performed by a single individual, by a group, or by the entire community; in arbitrary places, or in places especially reserved for it; either in public, in private, or before specific people. A ritual may be restricted to a certain subset of the community, and may enable or underscore the passage between religious or social states. In Islam, Eid-ul-Azha is observed in commemoration of the ‘Religious Ritual of Abrahem’ where he sacrificed his own son for the sake of Almighty Allah’s will.

Today millions of Muslims follow this ritual by sacrificing cattle animals and pay homage to the example of ultimate sacrifice. I celebrate Eid by performing certain religious rituals like I dress my finest clothing and perform prayer (Salaa) in a large congregation called as Eid Gaah (worship place for Eid) in the first day of Eid morning. Muslims who can afford to do so sacrifice best domestic animals, usually sheep, as a symbol of Ibrahim's sacrifice, any faulty animal sacrifice may not be acceptable by Allah (Quran,Hadith); this sacrifice is called "Qurban." The meat is equally distributed amongst themselves, their neighbours and relatives, and the poor and hungry. The regular charitable practices of the Muslim community are demonstrated during Eid ul-Adha by the concerted effort to see that no impoverished Muslim is left without sacrificial food during this day. Coming immediately after the Day of Mount Arafat when Muhammad (PBUH) pronounced the final seal on the religion of Islam, Eid ul-Adha gives concrete realization to what the Muslim community ethic means in practice. People in these days are expected to visit their relations, starting from their parents, then their families and friends. All day long, I did all the...