Bakri Eid 2022: What are the Eid ul Adha Traditions?

Bakri Eid is going to be celebrated on 10th July 2022. Popularly known as Eid ul Zuha or Eid ul Adha in Arabic, it is one of the most celebrated festivals of Muslims. This festival commemorates the purely self-less sacrifice of the Prophet Ibrahim or Abraham, who was ready to sacrifice his first born son at God’s behest. 

This festival is known by several popular names all across the globe. In Arabic, the word Eidis means festival and Zuha is derived from Uzhaiyya meaning sacrifice. As the sole intent of the festival is to honour the great Prophet’s sacrifice, it is rightly called Eid ul Zuha. Muslims from all around the world celebrate this day with zeal and enthusiasm and send their best Eid ul Adha wishes to their loved ones.

The most common tradition of this festival, Bakri Eid, is to sacrifice animals like sheep, goats, camels, or cows and share the meat among the poor. Here are the top traditions for celebrating this festival with your kids and its significance. It will help them learn the greatness that lies in sacrifice and instil reverence in their hearts for the pure intentions of the Prophet.

Bakri Eid: History and Significance 

The history of Bakri Eid or Eid ul Adha happens to be traced back to 4000 years ago. The great Prophet Ibrahim dreamed of Allah asking him to sacrifice or offer what he loved the most. The Prophet realised that there was nothing in the world that he loved more than his son. Hence, he was ready to sacrifice Isaac, his son, at the behest of Allah. Just when he was about to perform the sacrifice, an angel appeared to stop him. The angel told him that he had already proven his love for God, so he should never need to sacrifice a human life in God’s name.

This story of sacrificing Isaac, who the Prophet loved the most, was first published in the Hebrew Bible, around the 8th to 1st century BCE. This festival marks the end of the holy Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

Bakri Eid Traditions and Rituals

Amidst the festivities, the importance of Eid ul Adha is also imparted to kids through the rituals and traditions of this festival. The most common traditions of Eid ul Adha are discussed below.

New Clothes for Bakri Eid

This is one of the most important Eids celebrated by Muslim communities all around the world. Preparations for this holy festival begin long before the day of celebrations. People get new clothes for family and friends for this festival. On the morning of Eid ul Adha, people wake up and take a bath. Everyone celebrating this festival tries to clean up right in the morning of Eid ul Adha. They put on new clothes. Mostly they are clad in traditional Muslim ethnic wear, like Shararas, Anarkalis, and kurta pajamas. Often people are observed wearing spotless white for their prayers at the mosques.

Offering Prayers

After dressing up in their Eid best, people visit the mosques to offer their prayers to Allah. Some people congregate in an open space with family, neighbours, and friends to offer prayers. Praying for the peace and prosperity of all is one of the rituals of this festival. From elders to young kids, members of the Muslim communities offer Namaz on this holy day. They recite Takbir before and after the prayers.

Holy Sacrifices

Sacrifice, or Qurbani, is the essence of the festival, Eid ul Adha. People sacrifice four-legged animals like cows, goats, camels, sheep, etc. These animals are bought months in advance and taken good care of to meet the standards of quality for sacrificing on Bakri Eid. If an animal is not of the age and quality required for the sacrifice, it is considered to be unacceptable.

Animals that are considered to be Halal by the rules of Islam can be offered for a sacrifice. According to the Bakri Eid rituals, wealthy families are likely to offer a sacrifice. The poor group together into seven or seventy families to offer a sacrifice. The meat of the sacrificed animal is shared in three parts. The family offering the sacrifice consumes the first part, the second part is doled out to the neighbours, and the third part is distributed among the poor.
    

Gifts and Feasts

Meeting and greeting close family and friends are an amazing part of the Bakri Eid traditions. People visit their relatives and friends and exchange endearing Eid ul Adha wishes. On this occasion, people exchange gifts and often elders give small amounts of money to the young kids, as a token of blessing. 

Scrumptious feasts are prepared and savoured by all on this day. The houses of people celebrating this festival are decorated and filled with the aroma of delicious sweets and savouries. They invite guests to dine at their houses. The traditional breakfast served on Bakri Eid is Sheer Kurma or Sevaiyan. Among the other Bakri Eid special foods are Baida Roti, Kebabs, Haleem, etc.   

The festive mood of Eid ul Adha is enjoyed by many people all over the world and the celebrations continue for two to three days through prayers and feasts. As a matter of fact, this festival casts its glory on a wide number of people beyond the Muslim communities nowadays. People from different religions and communities also enjoy the festival, and like most other festivals kids add to the fun of the celebrations. So let’s celebrate this Bakri Eid with our kids and dear ones and let the joy of this pious festival light up our lives.