Eid al-Adha

Sheep grazing in a field 

Eid al-Adha is the Islamic holiday commemorating Ibrahim’s (Abraham’s) devotion to follow God’s command to sacrifice his son Ishmael. God saw his willingness and faithfulness in this action and instead allowed him to sacrifice a sheep in his son’s place. Muslims around the world celebrate this holiday by slaughtering a sheep.

In Morocco, almost every family slaughters a sheep and most do it in their home. The sheep is usually brought a few days before the holiday to ensure they have one for the Eid. There are more than 3 million male sheep slaughtered on this day in Morocco alone. After the Eid prayer, King Mohammed VI will slaughter a sheep for his family and one for the people broadcast on television. Traditionally Moroccan families wait until the King slaughters his sheep before they slaughter their own (around 10 am).

Not all families slaughter the sheep themselves. There are people who are able to help with this task and they can be asked to slaughter sheep.

On the day of the Eid, most families eat the liver and heart because they can be eaten right away. The rest of the meat is hung for the blood to drain. Afterwards it can be marinated and grilled, while other parts are best used for stews. Sweets and pastries are abundant and many friends and families visit each other throughout the day.

(last two photos taken from  http://www.moroccoboard.com/news/5474-preparing-for-eid-al-adha-in-morocco)