Muslims in Asia celebrate Eid al-Adha with sacrifice festival and traditional feast

By NINIEK KARMINI
Associated Press

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Muslims in Asia are celebrating Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, one of the biggest holidays in the Islamic calendar. The occasion commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s test of faith through slaughtering livestock and animals and distributing the meat to the poor. It’s a joyous occasion for which food is a hallmark where devout Muslims buy and slaughter animals and share two-thirds of the meat with the poor and it’s a revered observance that coincides with the final rites of the Hajj. The holiday was celebrated in much of Asia on Monday while Saudi Arabia and other places in the Middle East observed it Sunday. In Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, Eid al-Adha includes local traditions.