Thursday, November 10, 2011

Celebrating Eid Al Adha

4 days of no-work last week! This is for the celebration of Eid al Adha or "Big Eid" as we, non-Muslims call it. (Small Eid is the earlier one - Eid al Fitr)

Government employees are more lucky they get 5 days -- the week end plus 3 days holiday, but the real fortunate ones are those who work in schools. They got 9 days straight of no work! Kind of makes one think twice before choosing a career :)

Since the weather isn't too hot anymore, the parks and open beaches were jam packed. Almost everyone is in celebratory mood except for those who work in sales and customer service. Sadly, no Eid holiday for them.

It's my second Eid al Adha celebration but I don't really know why Muslims celebrate it so I made a visit to my friend 'Wikipedia' and found out that this occasion is to commemorate the end of Hajj or the Pilgrimage to Mecca.

And why do Muslims go to Mecca?

According to Arabic history, Mecca is a dry, uninhabited place which is now known as Saudi Arabia. This is where Abraham left his concubine Hagar and his son Ishmael, according to the command of Allah... when their food ran out, she desperately ran up and down between 2 hills seven times to search for water but was unsuccessful so she cried to Allah for deliverance and miraculously a well of water appeared.

Mecca then became a center for trade because of its reliable source of water.

When Ishmael turned 13, Allah instructed Abraham to offer him as a sacrifice. Abraham obeyed even though he didn't want to but asked for Ishmael's consent before he went through with the sacrifice. Knowing that it was Allah's will, Ishmael agreed without hesitation and offered himself for the sacrifice. Thus, Muslims celebrate Eid al Adha to commemorate the ultimate act of sacrifice.

I do not wish to offend anyone, but I do not believe in this story. In the Bible, it is Isaac who was almost sacrifice and not Ishmael. So, I guess for me, there is nothing to celebrate during Eid al Adha except for the fact that we get additional days of no work and a lot more time for sleeping. :)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

For someone living in such a multicultural place, your words ring of indulgent intolerance. "There is no reason to celebrate"??? And who are you, the religious holiday police? Get some perspective. It's not only you who live in this world.

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