The story, as narrated in the Quran, describes Satan’s attempt to tempt Ibrahim so he would disobey God’s command. The other festival, Eid al-Adha, is the “feast of the sacrifice.” It comes at the end of the Hajj, an annual pilgrimage by millions of Muslims to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia that is obligatory once in a lifetime, but only for those with means.Įid al-Adha recalls the story of how God commanded Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail as a test of faith. In Turkey and in places that were once part of the Ottoman-Turkish empire such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Azerbaijan and the Caucasus, it is also known as the, “Lesser Bayram” or “festival” in Turkish.

In places like Jordan, with its Muslim majority population, the days before Eid al-Fitr can see a rush at local malls and special “Ramadan markets” as people prepare to exchange gifts on Eid al-Fitr. Fanous, the colorful lanterns of Ramadan, light up the streets of Amman, Jordan, throughout the holy month of fasting.