This archive report was first published on 8 August 2019.
On August 8, 2019, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i declared Monday, August 12, a public holiday to mark the Islamic festival of Eid-Ul-Adha.
According to a gazette notice, the Cabinet Secretary declared the public holiday in exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 of the Public Holidays Act.
The Islamic festival of Eid-Ul-Adha, also known as the 'Festival of the Sacrifice', is the second of two Islamic holidays celebrated worldwide each year.
It honours the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God’s command, and commemorates the intervention of God by providing a lamb to sacrifice instead.
As part of the celebrations, an animal is sacrificed and divided into three parts: one share is given to the poor and needy, another is kept for home, and the third is given to relatives.
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