There are two main Eid celebrations in the Islamic calendar that are very different. Eid ul Fitr is the first of these and marks the end of daily fasting during the month of Ramadan, with Eid ul Adha coming a few months later.
Millions of Muslims around the world are now looking forward to Eid ul Adha, also spelled as Eid al-Adha and sometimes known as Big Eid, Greater Eid, Bakra Eid or Qurbani Eid. So when is it likely to take place?
Unlike the earlier Eid ul Fitr at the beginning of the month of Shawwal, this next Eid takes place around a third of the month. It also coincides with the Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca that all able-bodied believers must make at least once.
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When is Eid ul Adha 2022 and how long does it last?
Eid ul Adha comes in the 12th and final month, Dhul Hijjah, also written as Zul Hijjah and Dhu al-Hijjah. It starts on the 10th day of this month.
According to the Umm al-Qura calendar of Saudi Arabia, based on astronomical predictions from the Institute of Astronomical & Geophysical Research in Riyadh, Eid ul Adha will begin at sunset on Saturday, July 9 this year. The date will be confirmed after a moon sighting which will determine the beginning of the month in which it falls.
Eid ul Adha normally lasts four days and is expected to end at sunset on Wednesday 13 July. For others, it takes two or three days – it depends on a specific country’s customs.
In Islamic countries, Eid celebrations are usually part of a long holiday. In Saudi Arabia, for example, there are national holidays from July 4th to 14th.
Because the Islamic calendar is lunar based, with 12 lunar cycles totaling 354 days, it is not synchronized with the 365-day Gregorian calendar, meaning that Muslim dates are 10 or 11 days earlier each year.
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