IN THE KNOW: Muslim Holidays

EID’L Adha and Eid’l Fitr are the two major Islamic holidays observed by Muslims annually.  Celebrated according to the lunar-based Islamic calendar, these correspond to the two main observances of the religion, the Hajj and the Ramadan.

Known as the Feast of the Sacrifice, the Eid’l Adha signifies the culmination of the Hajj, or the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia by Muslims worldwide during the 12th month of the Islamic calendar.

The Hajj is a journey that every adult Muslim must undertake at least once in their lifetime if they are physically and financially able to do so.  It is one of the five pillars of Islam, the obligations that every Muslim must satisfy in order to live a good and responsible life.

To mark the event, pilgrims perform prayers and rituals which culminate with the slaughtering of a sacrificial lamb or goat.

Meanwhile, the Eid’l Fitr, a three-day holiday of thanksgiving and rejoicing, is the festival that marks the breaking of the fast at the end of the month of Ramadan.

Muslims all over the world observe Ramadan during the ninth month of the calendar, spending the daylight hours in complete fasting to purify the soul, refocus attention on God, and practice self-sacrifice.

The Eid’l Adha and Eid’l Fitr were included in the list of the country’s regular holidays through the Republic Act Numbers 9849 and 9177, which were signed by former President Macapagal-Arroyo, in 2009 and 2002, respectively.

The exact dates of both celebrations are determined by Saudi Arabia’s highest religious body.

The holidays are observed by an estimated 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide.

There is an estimated 5.1 million Muslims in the country as of July 2011, according to the Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook. In 2009, the government estimated the Muslim population in the Philippines at 10 million.  The last census by the National Statistics Office put the number at 3.9 million as of 2000. Inquirer Research

Sources: PDI Archives, islam.about.com, lawphil.net