When is Eid al-Adha 2016 in U.S.? What is Eid and why do Muslims celebrate?

Muslims will be greeting each other with "Eid Mubarak," meaning "Blessed Eid" in celebration of Eid al-Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice. The holiday commemorates the day Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son to God.

Eid al-Adha signals the end of hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims are strongly encouraged to participate in the hajj at least once in their lifetime. The festival usually begins with morning prayers followed by visits to family and friends.

Animal sacrifice or "qurbani" is also a part of the celebrations. Cows, sheep and goats are slaughtered and distributed among the poor. Muslims are also expected to exchange gifts and donate to charities during the holiday.

The date of the festival is different every year because it is based on the lunar cycle. Saudi Arabia has been known to deploy fighter jets to determine the arrival of the new moon.

Eid was expected to begin on Sept. 11 but the moon did not appear on Sept. 1 so the Saudi Supreme Court declared Sept. 12 as the beginning of the festival. The feast is traditionally celebrated for four days but each country differs in the declaration of public holidays.

In America, the Fiqh Council of North America decided to follow the date set by the authorities in Mecca. The European Council of Fatwa and Research will also be celebrating the feast on the same day.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim declared a nine-day public holiday beginning on Saturday, Sept. 10, until Sunday, Sept. 19. The UAE and Kuwait are also expected to observe a nine-day holiday. Pakistan has declared a three-day holiday starting on Sept. 12. Bangladesh will be observing the holiday for six days from Sept. 9 to Sept 14.

Eid al-Adha is considered as the holier festival of the two Eids, the other one being Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the monthlong fast known as Ramadan.