AID EL KEBIR 2023. Eid will take place on Wednesday, June 28, announced the French Council for Muslim Worship and the Grand Mosque of Paris. During this festival celebrated by Muslims around the world, also called Eid al-Adha, believers in Islam sacrifice a sheep.
[Updated June 23, 2023 2:15 p.m.] The Eid al-Adha holiday will begin on Wednesday, June 28, the French Council for Muslim Worship (CFCM) announced in a statement. This celebration, also called Eid el-Kébir “commemorates the work and the sacrifice of the Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) and his son Ismaïl touched by divine Mercy following a manifest ordeal”, indicates the CFCM. The day of Arafat, which is a day of fasting, will take place the day before, Tuesday, June 27. During this festival, an animal is slaughtered, even if “as in most rites, it is not an end in itself”, assures the CFCM. According to tradition, one third of the sacrificed animal is given to the poor, one third is served to friends and relatives and the last third is consumed by the family.
The Grand Mosque of Paris also confirmed in a press release that Eid al-Adha will take place on Wednesday, June 28. For the occasion, two prayers will take place at the Great Mosque of Paris, which presents its “best wishes to the Muslims of France on the occasion of Eid el-Kébir and wishes that each of them can experience this celebration in prayer, sharing and fraternity.” In addition, the Great Mosque of Paris asks Muslims in France to “comply with the laws in force regarding the sacrificial ritual of sheep, which must be performed by delegation in appropriate and approved places”.
Eid al-Kebir 2023 is celebrated after the end of the hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. The celebration begins on the tenth day of the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, which Muslims refer to. During Eid el-Kébir, an animal (sheep, goat, cow) is sacrificed. This commemorates an episode from the Quran in which God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son. The child is ultimately spared, the angel Gabriel having replaced him with a sheep at the last moment. In an article, the Middle East Eye explains that “Islam has specific instructions on the practice of animal sacrifice, to ensure that everything is done in an ethical and controlled manner”. The slaughter is done in accordance with halal rules, ensuring that the animal does not suffer.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, more than 100,000 sheep are sacrificed in France during the three days of celebration. This practice moves animal defense associations, which denounce the slaughter without stunning, recommended in the tradition. It is very supervised and the Ministry of Agriculture has put a guide online to list the approved slaughterhouses in the country. Different prefectures, such as that of Ain, recall the rules to be followed for this ritual: “the slaughter of animals, in particular sheep, by individuals, that is to say outside authorized slaughterhouses, is prohibited .” An offense is punishable by a fine of 15,000 euros and six months in prison.
In France, Eid el-Kébir 2023 / 1445 (year of the Muslim calendar) begins on Wednesday June 28. This date is set by the Grand Mosque of Paris, which uses the scientific process of astronomical calculation for this purpose. A method that tends to impose itself in the authorities of Islam in France, but which does not satisfy all practicing Muslims in France. Some criticize him for setting back the traditional sighting of the crescent moon on the night of doubt / announcement. The Aïd el-Kébir festival lasts three days and the sacrifice must take place before sunset on the thirteenth day of the month according to tradition.
Practicing Muslim believers celebrate Eid el-Kébir on the 10th day of the lunar month of Dhûl hijja (the last month of the Hijri calendar, based on the moon), which is also the “month of the great pilgrimage” of the hajj. The date of Eid el-Kébir, like that of the beginning or end of Ramadan, “retreats” about eleven days each year in the civil calendar. The date of Eid el-Kébir can vary from one country to another as during Ramadan, but also from one practitioner to another. In France, it was initially the French Council for Muslim Worship (CFCM), the main representative body of Islam in France, which confirmed the official date of Eid in due course. For several years and dissension within the representative bodies of Islam, the Grand Mosque of Paris, associated with a religious commission, has made the date of Eid official at the end of the traditional lunar observation of the “Night of doubt / announcement”, associated with the analysis of astronomical calculations.
This celebration is also called Eid al-Adha (the “Feast of Sacrifice”). Eid el-Kébir combines a great prayer for believers and traditional sheep sacrifices that take place around the world, giving rise to a meal of sharing with loved ones and people in need. The tradition of the “Feast of Sacrifice” is also that the prayer at the beginning of Eid precedes the sacrifice of the animal. After the prayer, the celebration takes place over three days. The first day, however, remains the most important for Muslims. It marks the end of the pilgrimage to Mecca and, after the great collective prayer which takes place in the morning, the faithful meet for the sacrifice before sharing a meal together. They put on their best clothes for this celebration and multiply gifts and alms.
In the Muslim tradition, Eid el-Kébir commemorates Ibrahim’s submission to his God. Along with Eid al-Fitr (the feast of breaking the fast), it is one of the two major Muslim holidays. According to the Quran, the prophet Ibrahim received in his dreams the divine order to sacrifice his son, Ishmael. The latter, brought up in the faith, agrees to be immolated by his father. The Devil intervenes and tries to convince the protagonists not to practice the sacrifice, but Ibrahim throws seven pebbles at Satan. The father grabs a knife and puts it on Ishmael’s throat. But he fails to push it down. When he cuts the neck, he finds that the angel Jibril (Gabriel) has placed a sheep in the place of his son and that the latter is standing, unscathed, beside him.
For Muslims, Ibrahim’s faith, tested by God, was rewarded with the survival of his son. Eid el-Kébir thus celebrates faith and mercy. This episode from the Koran corresponds to a story in the Bible: that of Abraham’s sacrifice of his son, interrupted by the arrival of an angel who announces to him that God is satisfied with his faith. A ram is sacrificed in place of the young man.
Eid, bereaved in 2015 by a stampede that killed more than 2,000 people in Mecca, is one of the most important celebrations of the Muslim religion, along with Ramadan. In Islam, Eid closes for millions of believers the Hajj, the period of pilgrimages which began two days earlier. Every year, Muslims visit the holy sites of their religion in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Marking the end date of Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the five pillars of Islam. Eid el-Kebir celebrates the completion of these pilgrimages and represents a high point in spiritual and social life.
The sacrifice of Eid el-Kébir is a key moment for practicing Muslims, but also the source of intense controversy every year. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, which published on its website in May 2022 a press release and a “practical guide” relating to the organization of Eid el-Kébir, with the Ministry of the Interior, these are indeed “more than 100,000 sheep” that are slaughtered each year. A “real logistical challenge” that needs to be regulated and organised. If the slaughter must be carried out in certified slaughterhouses, the organization of Eid el-Kébir may require in some departments the establishment of temporary slaughterhouses, approved and which only operate during the three feast days.
The list of approved slaughterhouses during Eid el-Kébir is published each year. In the extract from the Jo of July 2, 2022, there were thus around thirty of these slaughterhouses throughout the country. Slaughtering outside an approved structure is prohibited in France and punishable by a fine of 15,000 euros and six months’ imprisonment. As for the transport of live animals in conditions contrary to their well-being, it is also an offense, punishable by a fine of 750 euros.
Eid el-Kébir is considered by Muslims as a celebration of their faith. Many traditions accompany this period. Muslims share prayers and meals. The most famous tradition of Eid el-Kébir is the sacrifice of an animal. It is usually a sheep, a goat or a calf. Animals must be at least one to two years old. Tradition commands the head of the family to kill the animal by draining it of its blood, without knocking it out and using a sharp knife: the suffering of the animal must be minimized.
Many families make the choice to sacrifice a sheep in a specialized slaughterhouse or to order the meat of an animal killed according to the rite. It is customary to divide the meat into three equal parts. The first belongs to the family, the second to neighbours, friends, colleagues and acquaintances, the third to the poor and destitute. The poorest are not required to practice this sacrifice. For some Muslim leaders, the sacrifice of the animal is a recommendation – which has become by force of family and cultural habits, a rite which seems obligatory, but which can very well be replaced by a gift made to the needy, if this corresponds to its financial equivalent.
Practicing Muslims are called to pray in the morning, during the solemn prayer organized in the mosques for the occasion. Each faithful is then invited to go to the approved slaughterhouses to proceed to the sacrifice of the animal according to the rite. Concerning the organization of this day, the rituals differ according to the country. In Jordan, for example, Eid el-Kebir is celebrated with the preparation of special pastries, while in Kuwait, the celebration is spread over a week during which sweets are banned. In Pakistan, Eid al-Adha festivities last for an entire month, during which believers fast for the first 10 days.
The “feast of sacrifice” is synonymous with sharing. On this day of celebration, it is recommended to multiply gifts and alms. The festivals of Eid al-Kebir and Eid al-Fitr have in common the same prayer, and only the moment when they take place differentiates them. Indeed, the Eid al-Adha prayer is celebrated earlier than that of Eid al-Fitr. In addition, the greeting formula “Aïd Mubarak” remains the same for these two festivals of the Muslim calendar.
How to wish Muslim relatives a happy Eid el-Kébir in France or in the Maghreb countries? On the “Feast of Sacrifice” (such as on the feast of Eid al-Fitr, or the feast of the end of the Ramadan fast), the traditional Muslim greeting “Eid mubarak” is used. It corresponds to the Arabic / Persian / Urdu version, when “Aïd mabrouk” refers to the version of dialectal Arabic (darija). In French, this expression translates to “Bonne fête (de l’Aïd)”, “congratulations” or “joyeuse fête”, although the formula is redundant, since Eid is already a party.
Muslims greet each other with the words ‘Eid mubarak’ after performing the Eid prayer. Pronouncing these words is therefore not an obligation of the Muslim religion, although they are part of a strong cultural and religious tradition. “Eid” refers to the religious event, when “mubarak” wishes “may it be good for you” or “may God bless you”.
The best known name is Aïd el-Kébir (“the big party” in Arabic). The expression is mainly used in the Maghreb. However, many countries, especially in the Middle East, more readily use the name Eid al-Adha (“Festival of Sacrifice”). In West and Central Africa, the term Tabaski is used. Eid el-Kebir should be distinguished from Eid el-Fitr (“little party”), which marks the breaking of the Ramadan fast with a shared meal.
Eid al-Kebir marks the end of another essential tradition for believers: that of the pilgrimage to the holy places of Mecca, or Hajj. This ritual takes place between the 8th and 13th of the month of dhou al-hijja of the Islamic calendar. The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with the profession of faith, daily prayers, almsgiving and Ramadan.
Certain rituals performed during pilgrimages to Mecca recall the episode of Ibrahim’s sacrifice. Thus, it is customary to go to Mina – a place located near the sacred city and supposed place where this prophet took his son – in order to throw stones on pillars. This act symbolizes faith and rejection of the temptation of the devil, like Ibrahim in the Koran.
