Festipath

Eid al-Adha

عید قربان

Eid al-Adha falls on the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It commemorates Abraham’s willingness to obey God’s command.

What happens

Eid al-Adha is observed across the Muslim world, and the material consulted does not describe a distinctively Iranian form of the observance. The Eid prayer is performed any time after sunrise and before the Zuhr prayer.

Those who can afford it perform a ritual animal sacrifice, the qurbani. The meat is generally divided into three parts: the family performing the sacrifice keeps one third, while the rest is divided equally between friends and relatives, and the poor.

For pilgrims performing the Hajj, this day includes the tawaf and the sa'i, as well as the ritual stoning of the Devil on the day itself and on the following days.

Why it matters

Eid al-Adha centres on a substitution: a ram offered in place of a son. Its meaning is carried out through giving, not simply consuming: the meat is divided into three parts, with one third kept, one third given to friends and relatives, and one third given to the poor. The day also ties the Muslim year to the Hajj, falling when pilgrims complete the central rites.

What is recorded here is the observance shared across the Muslim world. Specifically Iranian forms of Eid al-Adha are not yet documented in this archive.

When it happens

Caution

These dates are approximate: either the timing varies from year to year, or the rule behind them is not fully confirmed. Confirm this year’s dates locally before you travel.

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Before you go

Eid al-Adha — visiting etiquette

Never

  • Do not photograph military or government installations. Photography near them is strictly prohibited and foreign nationals have been detained and charged.
  • Do not drink alcohol in public. There are no exceptions.

Photography

Photography near military and other government installations is strictly prohibited in Iran, and foreign nationals have been detained and charged under national security laws. These are Iranian laws that apply everywhere in public, not customs of this festival. They are recorded here because the observance happens outdoors, where they bind a visitor. Away from those sites, ask people before photographing them.

Dress

In public places women must cover their heads with a headscarf and wear trousers or a floor-length skirt with a long-sleeved tunic or coat reaching mid-thigh or knee; men should wear long trousers and long-sleeved shirts. These are Iranian laws that apply everywhere in public, not customs of this festival. They are recorded here because the observance happens outdoors, where they bind a visitor.

Where it happens

Only the surrounding area is published for this location.

  • Iran

    General area only

  • Tehran & Alborz

    General area only

  • Isfahan & Yazd

    General area only

  • Shiraz & Fars

    General area only

Sources

Short code

ir-b7j93

A short, stable identifier for this entry, printed on cards and quotable anywhere.