Eid al-Adha, also known as the Feast of Sacrifice, is one of the two main Islamic celebrations, the other being Eid al-Fitr which signifies the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting. In Saudi Arabia, the government declares this day as a public holiday, allowing for the population to fully participate in the religious ceremonies and festivities that take place. The holiday spans a four-day period, during which various social and religious activities are conducted.
Eid al-Adha commemorates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God. However, before the sacrifice could take place, God provided a ram to sacrifice instead, hence the practice of animal sacrifice is prominent in this celebration. In Saudi Arabia, following the main Eid prayer in the morning, the sacrificial ritual takes place where families who can afford it, slaughter an animal - often a sheep, a goat or a cow, and distribute a portion of this meat to the poor and needy.
Another critical aspect of the Eid al-Adha holiday in Saudi Arabia is the annual Hajj pilgrimage, since the holiday occurs at the end of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, which is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it should make the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime. Millions of Muslims from around the world travel to Saudi Arabia every year to take part in this pilgrimage, marking it as a time of increased activity and heightened religious devotion across the kingdom.