Eid Al Adha

(Festival of Sacrifice and Giving)

Fact Sheet

October 2013

A panorama in 12 folds showing the procession of the Emperor Bahadur Shah to celebrate the feast of
the Eid., 1843, Sir Thomas Theophilus Metcalfe (1795-1853)
EID AL ADHA FACT SHEET - OCTOBER 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ............................................................................................................... 3
What Is Eid Al Adha? ................................................................................................ 3
Eid Around The World in Pictures ........................................................................... 4
Eid Poems .................................................................................................................. 8
Special Eid Dessert Recipes .................................................................................... 9
What we Can do as Parents ................................................................................... 11
Contact ..................................................................................................................... 11

Calligraphy, Eid Mubarak, translation “Happy Eid”

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EID AL ADHA FACT SHEET - OCTOBER 2013

INTRODUCTION

We hope this message reaches you in the best of health and spirits.

The beauty of the Waldorf School comes from the universality of its philosophy, faculty,
teachers and students. Seeing our children learn, interact and grow in the classroom
with their peers that come from many different backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities is
so enriching to all of them and is a way to pave the road to becoming enlightened
citizens of the great world we live in.

We believe that helping students understand and learn about the upcoming Eid Aladha
holiday further enhances the universality of the Waldorf philosophy. It is also a
significant opportunity to allow diversity to flourish in the school by introducing faculty
and students to a very important holiday that is celebrated by billions of people around
the world.

In an attempt to help clarify the story of the upcoming Eid Al Adha holiday below please
find some quick facts.

WHAT IS EID AL ADHA?

Eid Al Adha also known as the Greater Eid, is considered the most important festival in
the Muslim calendar, because it is the culminating festival honoring the completion of
the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Eid Al Adha is also celebrated by Muslim families around the
world as a reminder of Ibrahim's (Abraham’s) willingness to sacrifice his most beloved
possession.

It is a time of remembrance, purification, thanks, reflection; it is a time to count one’s

blessings; it is a time of coming together and sharing among families, friends, and the
greater community; it is a time of charity and kindness whereby families share food and
gifts with the needy and less fortunate.

An important part of the holiday is to make sure that everyone in the community has an
opportunity to celebrate; families are obligated to reach out and contribute money, food
and clothing so no one is forgotten.

Eid Al Adha not only encourages acts of kindness among the community but also
emphasizes the importance of interfaith and multicultural understanding through the
shared experiences of other faiths. Because Eid Al Adha is a festival that remembers
Prophet Ibrahim's (Abraham’s) willingness to sacrifice, a much honored and respected
story is the Torah and the Old Testament (Genesis 22), emphasizing the shared values
and beliefs of billions of people around the world.

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EID AL ADHA FACT SHEET - OCTOBER 2013

Quick Facts

• Calendar: While Eid al-Adha is always on the same day of the Lunar calendar,
the date on the Gregorian calendar varies from year to year. Because the
Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar. The lunar calendar is approximately
eleven days shorter than the solar calendar.

• Purpose: Annual festival commemorating the completion of the annual Hajj

pilgrimage and Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice for the sake of his lord.
A festival of sharing and gift giving.

• Other Languages: Eid Al Adha has had other names outside of the Middle East.
The name is often simply translated into the local language, such as English
Feast of the Sacrifice, German Opferfest, Dutch Offerfeest, Romanian
Sărbătoarea Sacrificiului, and Hungarian Áldozati ünnep. In Spanish it is known
as Fiesta del Cordero ("festival of the lamb").

EID AROUND THE WORLD IN PICTURES

Please find a quick selection of pictures representing cultural flavors of Eid festivities
around the world.

United States

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EID AL ADHA FACT SHEET - OCTOBER 2013

China

Indonesia

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EID AL ADHA FACT SHEET - OCTOBER 2013

Nigeria

Copenhagen

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EID AL ADHA FACT SHEET - OCTOBER 2013

Romania

Saudi Arabia

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EID AL ADHA FACT SHEET - OCTOBER 2013

EID POEMS

Eid Has Come With All Its Light

A time of compassion comes near

A time to be truly sincere
I can see the new moon rising
Moving darkness with all its might
I can see the glowing stars in the heavenly sky
I can feel a time of joy and light
Eid has come with all its delight
Cherish the sharing
Cherish the caring
Cherish the smiles that they ignite
Cherish the laughter around you that becomes ever so bright
For giving brings so much cheer
To those who don’t have but may be so near
For everything around you sings and prays searching for gifts, happiness and joy
So be like the moon and stars in the heavenly sky
Be the bright light and move sadness and sorrow with all your might

Eid has come with all its light!

Eid Has Come To Bring Us Peace

Eid Mubark, Eid Mubark

Eid has come
To bring us peace
To bring us love
To charish our life
It is the time
We come together
Shoulder to shoulder
It is the time
We share together
Share our love
Share our deeds
Eid Mubark, Eid Mubark

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EID AL ADHA FACT SHEET - OCTOBER 2013

SPECIAL EID DESSERT RECIPES

Ma’amoul Recipe

Ma'amoul is a cookie-like, date filled pastry. This recipe is not only easy, but delicious!

Ma'amoul is normally served during celebrations, but can be served several times a
year because they are just so good!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 cup semolina
• 2 sticks salted butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon orange blossom water
• 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup pitted dates
• powdered sugar for dusting
• 2 tablespoons milk

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• In a medium bowl, combine flour and semolina. Set aside.
• In a smaller bowl, beat together butter for 30-45 seconds. Slowly add in flour
mixture until combined. Stir in milk, allspice, and orange blossom water. Roll
dough into 12 pieces.
• In a small bowl, combine dates and sugar. Set aside.

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EID AL ADHA FACT SHEET - OCTOBER 2013

• Grab your dough and push 2 inch circles into each piece. Place onto parchment
lined cookie sheet. Place about 1 teaspoon of date mixture on top of dough. Fold
and press dough together to seal the filling. Repeat with remaining dough and
nut mixture.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
• Dust with powdered sugar while warm.

Date Morsels Recipe

The inherent sweet and nutty flavor of dates is very hard to beat. You can combine dates with a
range of ingredients to form sweet and savory date morsels that are ideal for any special occasion.
So go ahead and be creative, we happen to use coconut flakes for this one.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
• 4 c dates
• 1/2 c moist coconut flakes
• 1/2 c ground flax
• 1 tsp salt
• Orange juice

Preparation
• Mix all the ingredients (except orange juice) in a food processor.
• Moisten with orange juice.
• Form into balls. 1-2 tbs per ball makes about 40 morsels.

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EID AL ADHA FACT SHEET - OCTOBER 2013

WHAT WE CAN DO AS PARENTS

We are available to faculty members and teachers to provide multi-cultural learning

experiences by sharing skits, art, activities, food, and decorations.

CONTACT

Zeena Altalib
cell 703-901-1914
email zaltalib@yahoo.com

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