ALBAWABA – The Supreme Court of Saudi Arabia announced the sighting of the new crescent on Sunday, marking Wednesday, June 28 as the first day of the 2023 Eid Al Adha holiday in Saudi Arabia.
The signing of the new crescent signals the beginning of the new month of Dhul Hijjah, on the lunar Hijri calendar, Sunday.
''Arafat Day falls on Tuesday, June 27, while Wednesday, June 28, will be the first day of Eid Al Adha,'' as reported in a Supreme Court statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The holiday will extend from June 28 through July 1, according Google.
Dhul Hijjah is the twelfth and final month of the Islamic lunar calendar, the Hijri calendar.
Muslims from all corners of the globe gather in Mecca to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, in Dhul Hijjah.
The first nine days of the month are considered sacred, with the ninth day being the Day of Arafat.
On this day, millions of pilgrims gather on Mount Arafat, near Mecca, in an act of faith and devotion.
Afterwards, Muslims around the world celebrate Eid Al Adha, also known as the “Festival of Sacrifice.”
This holiday commemorates Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God. In the end, God provided a lamb to be sacrificed instead, a divine intervention that is gratefully remembered by Muslims each year.
Muslims perform a ritual animal sacrifice, often sheep, in remembrance of this event. The meat is then divided into thirds: one for the family, one for friends and relatives, and one for the poor and needy.
This act of giving underscores the values of empathy, generosity, and community central to the holiday and the Islamic faith.
