People filled open squares and other public places in different Iranian cities on Monday morning for the Eid prayers. In the capital Tehran, the prayers were held at the University of Tehran.
Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, is celebrated by Muslims worldwide. It is one of the two main Islamic holidays along with Eid al-Fitr that marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
Eid al-Adha follows the annual Hajj pilgrimage and commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his first-born son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God, before He offered a sheep in his place.
In an act of remembering what Prophet Ibrahim did, Muslims slaughter sheep, camels, or goats, and offer parts of their meet to the poor on Eid al-Adha.
Muslims also visit their friends and relatives on the Eid to celebrate the occasion.
Iran and eight more Muslim countries celebrate Eid al-Adha on Monday. Others marked the event a day earlier. The difference is related to the lunar calendar on which the start of any month is announced after new moon is observed by local religious authorities.
IRNA