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Kurman Ait is also known as Eid al-Adha (or the “Feast of Sacrifice”) and is the most important feast of the Muslim calendar.
(Eid is an Arabic word derived from the Arabic word, “aada” that means a recurring event - one that returns. In Islam it it is used to denote a festival.)
It takes place on the tenth day of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijja, and concludes the Pilgrimmage to Mecca which every Muslim is expected to make during their lifetime – the Hajj (which literally translates as: "to set out for a place"). Because the Islamic calendar is a based on lunar cycles ... and is shorter than the Solar year, in some years, (such as in 2006), there are two festivals in one (Gregorian) calendar year.
Also, in the muslim calendar, the date is fixed depending on the sighting of the new moon at Mecca. In 2005, the Saudi authorities had originally confirmed that Eid ul-Adha would begin on Friday, January 21, but then it was announced that the date had been changed - by one day, to January 20. There was, apparently some speculation that this might have been to provide for better crowd control by avoiding Hajj during the weekend, but the official reason was that the new moon was sighted earlier than expected, starting the month of Dhul Hijja one day early.
Technically, the Kurman Ait festival lasts for three days and commemorates Ibrahim's (Abraham) willingness to obey God by sacrificing his son. (Muslims believe the son to be Ismael – the forefather of the Arabs – rather than Isaac as told in the Old Testament.) The feast re-enacts Ibrahim's obedience by sacrificing a cow or ram. The family eats about a third of the meal and donates the rest to the poor.
Traditionally, Muslims wear their nicest clothing and attend Salatul-Eid (Eid Prayer) in the morning. This is followed by a short sermon, after which everyone socializes. Later, they visit each other's homes and partake in festive meals with special dishes, beverages, and desserts. Children receive gifts and sweets.
Kyrgyzstan Public Holidays
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