Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha: dates and essence of the holiday, rules and prohibitions

At the end of March, Muslims end their long fast and the Eid al—Adha holiday begins. This is one of the important holidays, which has its own rules and traditions. Izvestia reports on how to properly prepare for the celebration and how to hold it in 2025.

Eid al-Adha — what kind of holiday do Muslims have?

According to religious traditions, during the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims keep strict fasting and abstain from food and water throughout the day. In 2025, it lasted from March 1 to March 29. Immediately after it comes Eid al-Adha, the feast of thanksgiving, or Eid al—Fitr in Arabic, which literally translates as the feast of the cessation of fasting.

This is an ancient celebration, which, according to legend, was established in 624 by the prophet Muhammad. From that day on, the prohibitions that believers have been following for almost 30 days cease to apply. Traditionally, the end of the fast is accompanied by lavish celebrations in countries where Islam is the official religion.

In particular, Eid al-Adha is celebrated in Jordan, Iran, Libya, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and a number of African countries — Egypt, Algeria, Senegal and others. Celebrations are also held in the former Soviet republics of Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, where Muslims make up the vast majority of the population.

Eid al-Adha in 2025: when is the beginning and the end, where is the day off

The date of the holiday, like all other Muslim religious celebrations, is calculated according to the lunar calendar. Because of this, it is different every year. In the previous two years, celebrations were held in the middle and end of April. In 2025, the Thanksgiving holiday will take place on the night of March 30th to 31st.

In Russia, Eid al-Adha is celebrated by more than 15 million Muslims living in Adygea, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Chechnya, the Republic of Crimea and other regions. In some regions — in the North Caucasian republics, Tatarstan and Bashkiria — the holiday is officially a non-working day.

Eid al-Adha in 2025: the secrets of the feast of thanksgiving after holy Ramadan

In some regions of Russia, there will be an additional day off on this day.

Weekends often last from one to three days. On these days, believers attend collective festive prayers, visit relatives, go to the cemetery and commemorate the deceased.

So, in Bashkiria and Crimea, weekends will be on March 29, 30 and 31, and in Chechnya, Adygea and Dagestan — on March 30, 31 and April 1. In Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia, Monday, March 31, will be closed. In Tatarstan, Ramadan will be celebrated only on March 30, and in Ingushetia, where the holiday has its own unique national flavor and is better known as Markhash, it will start earlier and last from March 28 to March 29.

What do Muslims do, cook, eat, and give on Eid al-Adha?

There are many traditions associated with the feast of thanksgiving. They start preparing for the celebration in advance. Muslims perform a complete ablution, clean their homes, prepare elegant clean clothes, buy food for the festive table and gifts for loved ones.

The celebration itself begins with sunrise. Strict restrictions are lifted only after morning prayers on Eid al-Adha day. Therefore, in the morning, believers gather at mosques and at special prayer sites (namaz). They thank Allah for helping them overcome the difficulties of fasting and congratulate each other on the holiday.

The greeting is usually expressed with the words "Eid Mubarak!", which translates to "blessed holiday." Then warm congratulations are often added with wishes of health, family well-being, peace and abundance. The obligatory tradition of the holiday is the distribution of alms (zakat al-fitr). This custom dates back to the time of the Prophet Muhammad. At that time, barley, wheat, dates and raisins were usually presented as alms.

Eid Mubarak! Eid al-Adha greeting cards and greetings

It is customary to hold a celebration in the family circle. During the celebration, the tables are full of all kinds of dishes. Lamb dishes are usually served, but different countries have their own traditions. For example, the Tatars bake balish— a baked pie made from unleavened dough with meat filling. In Chechnya, they cook zhizhig-galnash, a dish with boiled meat and dumplings. In Central Asia, dolma and pilaf are prepared, and in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the table is decorated with all kinds of sweets.

In the afternoon, they visit relatives and friends. They do not come to visit empty-handed, but always prepare some kind of gift for the hosts. These are often sweets, but religious books and souvenirs are also often given, including special Muslim prayer kits that include the Koran, rosaries, a mat and other necessary prayer supplies.

What not to do on Eid al-Adha holiday — rules

On Eid al-Adha, it is forbidden to engage in heavy physical labor and household chores, in addition to cooking. Also, on this important day, you should not quarrel with your loved ones, enter into conflicts, allow bad thoughts and slander.

In addition, it is strictly forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is strictly forbidden in Islam. However, its violation on religious holidays is considered one of the most serious deviations from the rules.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the festive services on Eid al-Adha.