Eid

noun

ˈēd 

plural Eids

: either of two Islamic festivals:

a

or Eid al-Adha

ˈēd-əl-ˈäd-(h)ə  -ˈəd- 

: an Islamic festival that begins on the 10th day of Dhu'l-Hijja, that lasts four days, and that commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Ishmael

… many people in the Arab world facing grinding economic crisis as the year's biggest Muslim festival approaches … are looking at the prospect of a lean Eid.

—Kuwait Times

On the first day of Eid al-Adha, Muslims who are able to do so mirror the behaviour of the prophet. They slaughter animals such as sheep, cows and goats in the name of Allah, and share it amongst family, friends and the needy.

—Ramazani Mwamba

—often used before another noun

Eid prayers

b

or Eid al-Fitr

ˈēd-əl-ˈfi-tər 

: an Islamic festival that takes place during the first three days of Shawwal and marks the end of Ramadan with prayer, gifts, and sweets

At the end of Ramadan, we relish the relaxing mood of ‎Eid, because we can break our fast and enjoy our time with ‎family, friends, and community.

—Abdulrahman Bindamnan

For the three-day celebration Eid al-Fitr, which concludes the holy month, families host banquets, exchange gifts and feast on everything from … whole stuffed lamb to rice pudding and pistachio cakes.

—Nancy Matsumoto

—often used before another noun

Eid celebrations

see also eid mubarak

Examples of Eid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Amir Eid again manages to hold a mirror to the times, in 2015 reflecting the era’s political uncertainty. —Maha Elnabawi, Billboard, 21 Oct. 2024

In an audio message sent in Arabic to ABC News, Dr. Eid Sabah, the director of the nursing department at Kamal Adwan Hospital, said the maternity ward is overflowing with children who were transferred from the ICU to accommodate the growing number of patients. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2024

Aqsa’s short, American Eid, is now streaming on Disney+, and her SXSW short, Awayy, is being produced into a feature. —Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2024

In one room, children are learning about the Muslim holiday, Eid al-Fitr. —Jackie Mader, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2024

Formed in 2003 by childhood friends Amir Eid (vocals), Sherif Hawary (guitar), Tamer Hashem (drums), Sherif Mostafa (keyboard), and Adam El-Alfy (bass), the band started in Cairo’s leafy suburban district of Maadi. —Sara Ibrahim, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2024

Yusuf also directed The Eid Gift for Rifelion’s Ramadan America anthology that bowed at SXSW. —Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Sep. 2024

The film released earlier this year during the Eid holiday frame and underperformed at the box office. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Aug. 2024

Executive producers include Wolf, Mike Weiss, Alex Chapple, Amanda Slater, Rick Eid and Peter Jankowski. —Selome Hailu, Variety, 19 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Arabic ʽīd al-ʼaḍḥā "Festival of the Sacrifice" and ʽīd al-fiṭr "Festival of the Breaking of the Fast"

Note: The transliteration Eid probably represents pronunciation of ʽīd in Persian as /eid/.

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing Eid

• Eid Mubarak