WEST BANK: Palestinians begin preparing for Eid Al-Adha

Record ID: 565366

  • Title: WEST BANK: Palestinians begin preparing for Eid Al-Adha
  • Date: 10th January 2006
  • Summary: MV MEN HAVING THEIR HAIR CUT IN BARBER SHOP (VARIOUS)
  • Embargoed: 25th January 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA12VWX5X795TV3HT8HEO59B0XP
  • Story Text: Palestinians in the West Bank town of Hebron began
    preparing on Monday night (January 9) for the Eid Al-Adha
    holiday.
    Eid Al-Adha, which will be celebrated on Tuesday
    (January 10), is a feast of sacrifice and is the most
    important feast of the Muslim calendar.
    It concludes the pilgrimage to Mecca, known as Hajj,
    which is one of the five pillars of Islam to be undertaken
    by all Muslim men who can afford to do so.
    On Monday evening residents of Hebron took to the shops
    to stock up on supplies for the Eid celebrations. Downtown
    Hebron was filled with shoppers and men visited their local
    barbers to groom themselves for the big feast.
    Eid al-Adha lasts for three days and commemorates
    Ibraham's (Abraham) willingness to obey God by sacrificing
    his son, Ishmael (Isaac).
    Ishmael is considered the forefather of the Arabs and
    according to the Koranic tale, Ibrahim was about to
    sacrifice his son when a voice from heaven stopped him and
    allowed him to sacrifice a ram instead.
    The feast, which will take place on Tuesday, re-enacts
    Ibrahim's obedience by sacrificing a cow or ram. The family
    eats about a third of the meal and donates the rest to the
    poor.
    ENDS.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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