Another long weekend is coming this week. Last Tuesday, August 29, 2017, President Duterte signed Proclamation No. 297. The Malacañan Palace has declared September 1, 2017, which falls on a Friday, as regular holiday nationwide in observance of Eid’l Adha or the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice.

September 1, 2017, declared a holiday in observance of Eid’l Adha

The proclamation, signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on behalf of President Rodrigo Duterte, is based on Republic Act 9849 that the yearly festival, whose date is movable, is celebrated as a regular holiday.

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About Eid’l Adha

Eid’l Adha, also called the “Sacrifice Feast”, is the second of two Muslim holidays celebrated worldwide each year, and considered the holier of the two. It honors the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, as an act of obedience to God’s command. Before he sacrificed his son God intervened by sending his angel Jibra’il (Gabriel), who then put a sheep in his son’s place. In commemoration of this, an animal is sacrificed and divided into three parts: the family retains one-third of the share; another third is given to relatives, friends, and neighbors; and the remaining third is given to the poor and needy.

In the Islamic lunar calendar, Eid’l Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah. In the international (Gregorian) calendar, the dates vary from year to year drifting approximately 11 days earlier each year.

Eid’l Adha is the latter of the two Eid holidays, the former being Eid al-Fitr. The word “Eid” appears once in Al-Ma’ida, the fifth sura of the Quran, with the meaning “solemn festival”.