Jordan Times
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Jordan marks Eid Al Adha
AMMAN (JT) - Jordan today joins other Arab and Islamic countries in celebrating
the Eid Al Adha feast marking the end of hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.
The Kingdom started a five-day holiday Tuesday, with the closure of government
agencies, banks and educational establishments. Bridge crossings to the West
Bank and Israel are also closed.
The eid rituals start with special prayers at 7:00am, usually performed in open
spaces like football fields or public parks, weather permitting.
Eid prayers in some parts of the Kingdom are likely to be performed inside
mosques as the Jordan Meteorological Department announced Tuesday that wet and
cold weather will prevail during the holiday as a result of unstable weather
conditions.
After the prayer, people, by the virtue of tradition rather than religion, visit
cemeteries to pay tribute to the dead, and those who can afford to slaughter
sheep do so. According to Islamic teachings, they have to distribute at least
two-thirds of the meat to the poor in a gesture of social solidarity.
The Greater Amman Municipality and other municipal councils around the country
have designated places for pens to sell sheep, which are confined to locations
removed from residential areas.
Over the past several days, Amman and major cities witnessed traffic jams as
people were shopping for the eid, buying mainly sweets, coffee and new clothes.
In preparation for the feast, the Public Security Department (PSD) announced
earlier in the week that it would intensify security procedures during the
holiday season culminating in New Year’s Eve.
PSD Spokesperson Major Mohammad Khatib said the measures will include increasing
the number of uniformed and plain-clothed manned patrols and rangers.
On the occasion, His Majesty King Abdullah received cables and exchanged over
phone congratulations with several leaders of Arab, Islamic and foreign
countries and senior officials and officers. Also yesterday, King Abdullah
received cables from Christian communities in the Kingdom congratulating him and
the Arab and Christians in the Arab world on the occasion of Eid Al Adha,
Christmas and the New Year.