06 August 2019, 23:57
Chechen and Dagestani authorities announce days-off for Kurban Bayram holiday
August 12 and 13 have been declared days-off in Chechnya in connection with one of the main Muslim holidays, Kurban Bayram. In Dagestan, only August 12 will be a day-off.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in 2018, the first of the three days of the sacrificial offering Kurban Bayram (Eid al-Adha) fell on August 21. While only this day was declared a day-off in Dagestan and Kabardino-Balkaria, Chechen authorities then declared three days-off – August 20, 21 and 22.
Kurban Bayram (Eid al-Adha) is a sacrifice holiday in memory of the decision of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son. This is one of the two main Muslim holidays, marked 70 days after the holiday of Uraza Bayram (Eid al-Fitr).
This year, residents of Chechnya will also be able to celebrate Kurban Bayram for three days.
"Due to the fact that this year the first day of Kurban falls on Sunday, August 11, the next two days – August 12 and 13 – will be days-off," the office of the head and the government of Chechnya has explained.
On one of the three days of the holiday, a Muslim believer must sacrifice a sheep (ram), a cow (bull) or a camel at least six months old, Magomed, a local clergyman, has reminded. As a rule, in Chechnya, one sheep is sacrificed for members of a family, while it is allowed to sacrifice a cow or a camel for seven families. "This ritual defends a person and his family from all bad things for a year," he has explained.
Poor families will be helped in making a sacrifice, said the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) of Chechnya. Each family will receive a sheep or a ram.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 6, 2019 at 03:25 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Source: CK correspondent
