Eid al-Adha, also known as the 'Feast of the Sacrifice', is one of the most significant holidays in Indonesia and the Islamic world. The holiday occurs on the 10th day of the last month of the Islamic lunar calendar, Dhu al-Hijjah. Its date varies each year and moves approximately 11 days earlier each year, depending on the moon.
The holiday's main purpose is to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his own son as an act of obedience to God. However, just before Ibrahim was about to do the deed, God provided a lamb to be sacrificed instead. Following this tradition, people in Indonesia and the rest of the Islamic world also perform sacrifices, usually a goat or a sheep, as a major part of Eid-al Adha celebrations.
On this day, families gather to share a meat-based meal, with one-third of the sacrifice’s meat consumed by the family, one-third given to relatives, friends and neighbors, and one-third distributed to the poor and needy. The giving aspect of this event emphasizes the principle of charity in Islam, making sure nobody is left out of the celebrations. The holiday also features prayers at mosques and open prayer fields, as well as the exchange of gifts among family members and friends.