Eid’l Adha this year falls on September 12 and not September 11, unlike what others expected .
September 12 is declared a non-working regular holiday here in the Philippines due to the commemoration of Muslims of Eid’l Adha or Eid al-Adha.
Normally, Eid was expected on September 11 and not 12th but based on moon sighting, the observation fell on the latter date.
Eid al-Adha in Arabic literally means “festival of the sacrifice”.
For Muslims, Eid al-Adha commemorates the day when prophet Abraham was going to sacrifice his son but was instructed by God to offer an animal instead. The Eid al-Adha is Islam’s holiest festival celebrated annually around the world and an official holiday in Muslim-majority countries.
Eid al-Adha this year 2016 was expected to begin on Sunday, September 11 but it will be on the 12th.
Know here the reason:
On Friday, September 2, the supreme court in Saudi Arabia announced that the Muslim festival of Eid will be on Monday, September 12, and not September 11.
The actual dates of Eid are confirmed based on moon sighting. If a new moon this year was sighted on September 1, then the first day of Eid al-Adha would have been on September 11. But since the moon was not visible on the said date, the festival will be celebrated on Monday, September 12.
In some countries like the United States and Canada, the Islamic Society of North America and the Fiqh Council of North America follow the Eid date announced in Saudi Arabia.
The European Council of Fatwa and Research also do the same.
In the Islamic calendar, Eid al-Adha occurs on the 10th day of the Dhu al-Hijjah lunar month. This is also the third day of the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca.
Pakistan and Bangladesh are some of the several countries which sight the moon locally, and thus have their own lunar calendars.
This year, Pakistan and Bangladesh will celebrate Eid on Tuesday.
Eid al-Adha lasts for four days but public holidays vary from country to country.
In the Philippines, the Malacañang Palace issued Presidential Proclamation 46 which declared September 12 a holiday throughout the country in observance of Eid’l Adha.
