Bakra Eid 'Eid ul-Adha' - The Festival of Sacrifice

Bakra Eid or Bakrid is another name for the festival Eid ul-Adha of the Muslim community. Eid ul-Adha is derived from the Arabic language. The festival of sacrifice, Bakra Eid is second biggest festival in Islam after Eid al-Fitr.

The followers of Islam, Muslim people all over the world celebrates Bakra Eid to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim’s devotion to Allah. They started celebrating this festival 4000 years ago which redefines the meaning of sacrifice. Sacrifice here is a symbol that both life and death are for God.

Celebration of Bakra Eid

Bakra Eid falls on the 70th day of Eid-ul-Fitr or Ramadan. According to the Islamic ‘Hijri calendar', it is the 10th day of the new month Dhu al-Hijjah. It begins from the evening of the previous day and ends in the evening of the festival day.

People wake up early and take a bath to cleanse themselves and visit mosques for Eid prayers. They greet each other on this auspicious festival.

In Nepal, people sacrifice animals like sheeps, and goats and they call it Qurbani. Then, they divide the meat into 3 parts; for themselves, for their relatives, and for the needy people and distribute it accordingly.

History Behind Bakra Eid

The story goes as Allah came in Prophet Ibrahim’s dream and asked him to sacrifice what he loved the most. That was his son, so he was ready to make the sacrifice the next day. As the Prophet was about to make the sacrifice, an angel named Angel Jibreel or Gabriel stopped him and brought a sheep to sacrifice instead. The Prophet’s loyalty was proven this way.