Muslims get ready for celebrations to mark Eid

FAMILY EVENTS PLANNED FOR ISLAMIC CALENDAR’S ‘MONTH OF PILGRIMAGE’

MUSLIMS across Greater Manchester will come together next week for another big Eid celebration.

Eid ul Adha (or Eid al Adha) is one of the holiest days of the year.

The festival is also known Eid Kabir, meaning Big Eid or Greater Eid, because it is the more holy of the two celebrations.

It comes following Eid ul Fitr – which marks the end of Ramadan – in June, when thousands of worshippers gathered at Platt Fields Park in Fallowfield to mark the first day of the event.

Eid ul Adha starts on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah – which means ‘month of pilgrimage’ – and lasts until the 13th day.

Dhul Hijjah is 12th and final month in the Islamic calendar,

The date of Eid ul Adha changes each year.

This is because the Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle, so official sightings of the crescent moon determine when one month ends and the next begins.

In 2018, the date of Eid ul Adha has been confirmed as Tuesday, August 21.

To mark the occasion, a series of celebrations are being hosted across Greater Manchester. Eid in the Park will take place at Platt Fields Park in Fallowfield on August 21 and 22. It is a fun-filled family event, which brings together more than 4,000 people for prayer. There will also be funfair rides, inflatables, activities and a barbecue, as well as a range of stalls. If it rains, the celebration will be moved to the Platt Fields Complex. Cheetham Hill Shopping Centre in Manchester is also marking the event. ‘Celebrating Eid Al Adha’ will take place on Sunday, August 19, from 7pm until 2am on Monday. Shops in the Asian Shopping Plaza will be open, along with stalls selling fashion, jewellery, food and henna, and there will be live entertainment from Ranbir Daskai, Shubrah, Asif Khan, Ray, and Jennifer Franklin. Steve Pell, asset manager of Cheetham Hill Shopping Centre, which is managed by national commercial property and investment company LCP, said: “After the hugely successful Eid Al Fitr celebration earlier this year, we are delighted to host another special evening for Eid Al Adha, which promises to be a great night of fun and entertainment for the whole family. Steve Pell, Cheetham Hill Shopping Centre