Four days holiday to celebrate Eid al-Adha begins on Friday

There will be a four day holiday in TRNC, Turkey and several countries around the world to celebrate Kurban Bayramı or Eid al-Adha which starts on July 9 and will end on July 12.

In Turkey, the holiday period has been extended to nine days to cover July 13-14, giving people an opportunity to divide the holiday between family visits and vacation.

All government and semi-government offices and schools – with the exception of essential services – will be closed throughout Bayram allowing public servants to enjoy a four-day holiday which will end on Tuesday.

The holiday will begin on Saturday morning with prayers at mosques throughout the country.

While state offices and semi-government offices will be closed during the holiday, the police department, municipalities and emergency services will be operational throughout the Bayram holiday to ensure citizens’ safety.

The state prison will also be open to visitors throughout the Bayram holiday.

During the four day holiday which begins on Saturday, July 9 and ends on Tuesday, July 12, Ercan Airport will serve 329 aircraft and thousands of passengers arriving and departing from the country.

An influx of passengers from Türkiye is expected over the next few days after Türkiye extended its Kurban Bayramı holiday to 10 days.

Ercan Airport will be very busy, especially from July 8-12.

According to a statement made by T&T Airport Operations, Ercan Airport will host 165 arriving and 164 departing flights, excluding private flights, during the holiday.

The busiest day at the airport will be experienced on Sunday.

On Sunday, Ercan Airport will serve a total of 73 aircraft, 38 arrivals and 35 departures.

It was also stated that the necessary measures are being taken against the holiday rush.

Eid al-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى, romanized: ʿĪd al-ʾAḍḥā, lit. 'Holiday of the Sacrifice') is the second and biggest of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr). It honors the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to Allah's command. Before Ibrahim could sacrifice his son, however, Allah provided him with a lamb which he was supposed to kill in his son's place because of his willingness to sacrifice his own son in the name of God. In commemoration of this intervention, animals are ritually slaughtered. One third of their meat is consumed by the family which offers the animal, while the rest of the meat is distributed to the poor and the needy. Sweets and gifts are given, and extended family members are typically visited and welcomed. The day is also sometimes called the Greater Eid.

In the Islamic lunar calendar, Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah and lasts for four days. In the international (Gregorian) calendar, the dates vary from year to year, shifting approximately 11 days earlier each year.