Eid al Adha 2023 [Bakrid]: Things You Should Know About this Islam’s ‘Festival of Sacrifice’

The date of Eid al-Adha 2023 is from 29th to 30th June 2023. Eid al-Adha, otherwise known as Bakrid or Eid al Baqarah, is a Muslim festival celebrated with great pomp and excitement. The festival commemorates the willingness of Ibrahim, a prophet and messenger of Allah, to sacrifice his son Ishmael on His command.

Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are the two major Islamic holidays celebrated all around the world, the latter being the holier of the two. On the day of Bakrid, devotees offer prayers to Allah and visit their friends, relatives and exchange food and gifts. Complete details related to Eid al-Adha 2023 such as its significance, ritual, celebrations, etc are provided here in this article.

Eid al-Adha 2023 Overview

Eid al Adha 2023 Date

The date of Eid al-Adha remains the same when calculated using the Islamic calendar which is lunar, but it keeps changing in the Gregorian calendar which is solar. As per the Gregorian calendar, every year Bakrid falls approximately 11 days earlier than the previous year.

According to the Islamic lunar calendar, Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah and lasts for four days. In the upcoming year, Eid al-Adha will be celebratedfrom 29th June to 30th June 2023. Since the date is confirmed only after the sighting of the moon, it may vary from one place to another.

Eid al-Adha 2023 Holiday

Eid al-Adha is celebrated all over India and is a gazetted holiday in many states. In the states where it is considered as a gazetted holiday, all the public offices, schools and banks within the state will remain close.

Many private offices can also observe a public holiday on this occasion or can provide restricted holiday to the Muslim employees. Shops and markets, especially in regions with majority population of Muslims, also normally remain close or have reduced opening hours.

History of Eid al Adha 2023 Festival

It is said that Ibrahim, a messenger of God, started dreaming about sacrificing his son Ishmael. These dreams kept occurring over and over making it seem like God’s command, which troubled Ibrahim a lot. He discussed this with Ishmael upon which the later agreed that Ibrahim must follow what he is ordered by the Supreme Allah. Making up his mind, Ibrahim started preparing for the slaughter of his son. While doing so, he was interrupted by Satan whom he drove away by throwing pebbles at him.

When the time for slaughter came, God was convinced that Ibrahim will sacrifice what is dear to him the most. Right before the slaughter, Angel Jibreel called out to Abraham stating that he has fulfilled the God’s order just by showing the firm willingness to sacrifice his son. The Angel then offered Ibrahim a lamb to sacrifice instead of his son and showered Allah’s blessing on both Ibrahim and Ishmael.

Eid al Adha 2023 Rituals

The festival of Eid al-Adha not only celebrates the devotion of Ibrahim towards Allah but also celebrates the survival of his son Ishmael. In commemoration of this devotion, it is a practice to sacrifice an animal like goat or lamb and sharing it with friends, family and with the poor and hungry.

Since, Ibrahim drove away Satan during his preparation for sacrifice stones are thrown at pillars symbolizing the Satan. There is also a practice to give donations to the poor in the form of money and clothing on the day of Eid al-Adha.

Eid al-Adha 2023 Celebration

Devotees wake up in the morning, take a bath and get dressed in the finest of their clothes. After that, they visit mosques or other social gatherings and offer prayers to the Allah. It is a must that Eid al-Adha prayers are offered in congregation. The prayer can be performed at anytime but only after the sun completely rises up and until its entry into the Zuhr time on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah. After the prayer is over, Muslims get up and greet each other with Eid Mubarak.

Special sweets (like ma’amoul), dishes and sacrificial meat is prepared on the day of festival that is shared with everyone so that no one goes hungry on this day. Eid al-Adha is a festival of showing devotion and kindness and the kindness is shown in the form of sharing the food even with the poor. There is also a tradition of exchanging gifts and visiting even the distant family members on the day of Eid al-Adha.

Frequently Asked Questions