Freshly pressed clothes in all styles and hues, the careful precision of women painting henna designs on hands, streets teeming with people distributing meat and those receiving it, the aroma of specialty foods being prepared and rows of the faithful bowing in prayer.
These were some universal sights as Muslims around the world celebrated Eid al-Adha. But each country has its own traditions, and in the Middle East, they range from trademark sweets prepared from Yemen to Syria, to clothes worn such as jalabia in Bahrain to thobes and turbans in Libya. Here’s how you can impress everyone by saying the Eid greeting in multiple languages.
There was little to celebrate during Eid in Sudan, where a war has raged for more than 70 days. Witnesses reported violations of a 24-hour Eid ceasefire, which many called meaningless.
The festive mood typical of the holiday was largely absent, replaced by sadness from those reflecting on the loss and displacement of family and friends due to the conflict.
Eid celebrations came on the heels of the final rites of the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage. This year’s event is being touted as record-breaking because it is expected to surpass 2.5 million attendees, according to a Saudi official. Pilgrims from around the world gathered in and around Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as the Hajj returned to its maximum capacity for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
