How to say ‘Happy Eid’ in Arabic: Meaning of ‘Eid Mubarak’ explained as Muslims mark Eid al-Adha today

Muslims around the world are today commemorating Eid al-Adha, one of the holiest dates in the Islamic calendar.

Although Covid-19 restrictions made the observance of Ramadan (and Eid al-Fitr, which follows the holy month) a very different affair to usual, the easing of UK lockdown rules means celebrations can be more widespread for Eid al-Adha.

And if you’re celebrating the occasion today, the chances are you’ll hear one traditional Arabic greeting more than any other – so here’s what it means.

If you want to wish somebody “Happy Eid” this year, the traditional way would be to greet them with “Eid Mubarak”. This is the Arabic phrase used by Muslims during both  Eid al-Adha and the the Eid al-Fitr celebrations earlier in the year.

The Arabic word “mubarak” translates as “blessed,” while “Eid” means feast, festival or celebration, so “Eid Mubarak” can literally mean “blessed celebration” or “blessed feast”, although it is widely interpreted as simply wishing somebody a “happy Eid”.

In exactly the same way, Muslims will often wish their fellow observers “Ramadan Mubarak” at the start of the holy month and throughout the fasting period.

“Ramadan Kareem” is less commonly used, but translates as “Generous Ramadan” – while the phrase can be used as a greeting in a similar way to “Ramadan Mubarak”, it can also describe Ramadan when referring to it in a wider context.

There is some debate around whether using “Ramadan Kareem” is appropriate, given that the expectation of generosity can be considered against the principles of fasting and prayer central to observing the holy month.

However, others argue that the greeting can appropriately refer to the generosity of acts towards others. Khaled Boudemagh, described by Gulf News as a Dubai-based language expert, said: “Ramadan is a month of generosity, therefore wish Kareem.”

Both “Mubarak” and “Kareem” are also given names in Arabic, which carry the same meanings as bestowed in the Eid and Ramadan greetings.

Eid al-Adha – which translates as “Festival of Sacrifice” – is known as “Big Eid” by some worshippers, and considered holier than Eid al-Fitr.

It is based on the famous story of the willingness of the prophet Ibrahim (known in the Christian Old Testament as Abraham) to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God’s command.

However, before Ibrahim carried out the heartbreaking request, God, known as Allah in Islam, produced a lamb for him to sacrifice instead.

To commemorate this, an animal is traditionally sacrificed and divided into three parts in an act known as Qurbani. One part of the sheep is given to the poor, one to the immediate family at home and one is reserved for relatives.

Some Muslims may give money to charity to give poorer families the chance to have a proper Eid feast, while mosques and community groups will often arrange communal meals.

Eid al-Adha falls on the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the twelfth month of the Islamic Hijri calendar.

Because this is based on the lunar cycle, in the more commonly used Gregorian calendar, this date shifts from year to year, moving forward around 11 days annually.

This year’s date was set for Tuesday 20 July by Saudi Arabia after there was no sighting of the Dhu al-Hijjah crescent moon on 9 July.