What Is Eid? All About the Muslim Celebration and Why It's So Significant
What is Eid, and when is Eid in 2024? The festive Muslim holiday comes twice a year, though each Eid is different and has its own special history. If you're not familiar with Islam or with its customs and beliefs, here's a primer on Eid.
What Is Eid?
Eid translates to "festival" or "feast" in Arabic. Eid marks the end of a fast or fasting period in Islam.
Why Is Eid Celebrated Twice a Year?
Eid is celebrated twice a year. The first Eid celebration is Eid al-Fitr, which lasts three days. The second Eid is Eid al-Adha, which spans four days.
Eid al-Fitr ("the feast of breaking the fast") marks the end of Ramadan, a month-long fast for Muslims. Eid al-Adha, translated to "feast of the sacrifice," celebrates the end of Muslims' annual pilgrimage to Mecca, also called the Hajj.
Related: What is Ramadan? Everything to Know About the Muslim Holy Month and How to Celebrate
When Is Eid 2024 in the USA?
Eid al-Fitr is expected to begin the evening of Tuesday, April 9, 2024, and end the evening of Wednesday, April 10, 2024.
Eid al-Adha begins on June 16, 2024, and ends on June 17, 2024.
When Does Ramadan End in 2024?
According to Muslim Aid, in 2024, Ramadan runs from the evening of Monday, March 11 through the evening of Tuesday, April 9.
What To Do on Eid?
Some Eid traditions include dressing up, snacking on some dates and heading to a mosque for special prayers just after dawn. Afterward, it's recommended to take an alternative route home than the one you took to the mosque, with the idea of spreading joy and riches everywhere you go and to the most people possible.
Some families exchange gifts, and many Muslims give food to those in need. For Eid al-Adha, some celebrants slaughter an animal as a sacrifice. The animal's meat is cut into three parts: One for family, another for friends and extended relatives and a third for the poor. However, not all families participate in the meat tradition, and many simply donate to charity or use other means to help those less fortunate instead.
Related: It’s Ramadan! Feel Good Foodie Shares Her Five Favorite Pre-Dawn Meals
History of Eid
In the Quran, the prophet Muhammad got his first revelation during Ramadan. Eid al-Fitr is believed to have originated when Muhammad arrived in Medina from Mecca and witnessed people celebrating with feasts on two specific days. Eid al-Adha, it is believed, honors God's intervention with a ram when Ibrahim almost sacrificed his son Ismail. (If it sounds familiar, it's because the Old Testament of the Bible has a similar story about Abraham and his own son, Isaac.)
Next, Ramadan Mubarak! 100 Ramadan Wishes and Greetings to Honor the Holy Month
