Eid al-Adha 2028: Date, History & Significance

The morning brings the Eid prayer and sermon, as at Eid al-Fitr. The qurbani (sacrifice) is then performed by or on behalf of each able household, with the animal treated gently and slaughtered in God's name; a third of the meat is kept, a third given to relatives and neighbours, and a third to the poor, so that the day feeds those who cannot buy meat. The four days of Eid (10–13 Dhu al-Hijjah) are days of eating, and fasting is forbidden.

The Qur'an relates that Ibrahim saw in a dream that he was to sacrifice his son (understood in Islam as Isma'il); both father and son submitted, and as Ibrahim laid him down, God called out that the vision was fulfilled and ransomed the boy with a great ram. The story is held up as the model of islam — submission — and tawakkul, trust in God. The Hajj rites at Mina re-enact parts of the account.

Source: The scriptures and calendar of the tradition; community religious practice in India

Eid al-Adha and the Hajj were established in the Prophet's lifetime; the sacrifice is a sunnah (practice of the Prophet) rather than a pillar. In India it is a gazetted national holiday, often called Bakr-Eid ('goat Eid').

• Wikipedia

1. The day begins with the Eid prayer in congregation at the eidgah or mosque, followed by the sermon; the takbir is recited from the Day of Arafah through the days of Eid.
2. Those who can afford it offer qurbani, the sacrifice of a goat, sheep or other animal in memory of Ibrahim's readiness to sacrifice his son; the meat is shared in three parts, for the family, relatives and friends, and the poor.
3. It falls during the Hajj, and families visit one another in new clothes with the greeting 'Eid Mubarak'.

• Across India. The Eid prayer, the qurbani and the three-way sharing of meat; biryani, korma and kaleji; the largest congregations at the Delhi, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Bhopal and Srinagar Eidgahs.
• Kerala, Malabar. Kept as Bakrid / Valiya Perunnal ('big feast'), with the prayer, the sacrifice where possible, and a family meal.

• Mutton biryani and kaleji — Dishes made from the qurbani meat on the day itself.
• Sheer khurma — Vermicelli cooked in milk with dates and nuts, served to every visitor.

Eid-ul-Adha (Bakrid) falls on Friday, 5 May 2028. Festival of sacrifice (10 Dhu al-Hijjah).

at sunrise

10 Dhu al-Hijjah — the day the Hajj pilgrims complete their rites at Mina. The Islamic (Hijri) calendar is purely lunar with no intercalation, so its dates move about eleven days earlier through the Gregorian year on a 33-year cycle.

The date is set by the Hindu lunisolar calendar and shifts against the Gregorian year.