Kurdistan’s Eid: Prayers, Sacrifices, and Echoes of the Past

By Kamaran Aziz

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Eid al-Adha, one of the holiest occasions in the Islamic calendar, is being observed across the Kurdistan Region with a rich tapestry of customs ranging from joyful gatherings and acts of charity to somber rituals of remembrance rooted in the collective memory of tragedy and loss.

A Spirit of Giving: Charitable Acts Across the Region

In Erbil, the spirit of Eid was once again embodied through acts of generosity and compassion. As part of an annual initiative, the Erbil Governorate, in partnership with the administration of the Orphan House, organized a communal Eid meal shared with orphaned children. The gesture, which has become a cherished tradition, seeks to remind society of its duty to care for the most vulnerable, ensuring that every child feels included in the joys of Eid, regardless of their circumstances.

Further amplifying the charitable spirit, the Barzani Charity Foundation prepared and distributed more than 3,600 kilograms of sacrificial meat to families across various neighborhoods of Erbil. This large-scale effort aimed to provide food security during the holiday and to reaffirm the values of solidarity and compassion that lie at the heart of the occasion.

Elsewhere, in the village of Galdara—part of the Barzancha subdistrict in the Sharbazher district of Sulaimani Province—villagers upheld a longstanding communal tradition.

Each year during Eid al-Adha, the residents collectively organize the ritual slaughter of livestock. This year, they sacrificed 40 animals as part of their religious observance. The act is not merely a religious duty but a manifestation of deep-rooted communal cohesion, as neighbors gather to perform the ritual together and share the meat among themselves and with those in need.

Sacred Ground and Sacred Memory: Prayers Amid the Legacy of Anfal

While many marked Eid with celebration, others chose to spend the day in solemn remembrance.

In one of the most emotionally resonant scenes this Eid, the families of victims of the Anfal genocide traveled to Nugra Salman in Samawa, the notorious desert site where thousands of Kurds were detained, tortured, and executed by Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime during the late 1980s.

Dressed in traditional Kurdish attire, the families gathered at the very site where so many of their loved ones perished to perform the Eid al-Adha prayers. The act was both a religious observance and a political message—an appeal for justice, closure, and the repatriation of the victims’ remains.

Speaking to Kurdistan24, one of the relatives of the Anfal victims said:

“Here, in this place, with the pure souls of our loved ones who perished in the Anfal campaign, we fulfilled our religious duties and offered prayers. This will not be the first or the last time we gather here during holidays. We will keep doing this until all the remains of our loved ones are returned to us.”

Another mourner added:

“It was our hearts that brought us here today. Our loved ones were killed here during the Anfal genocide. We have come here before on Eid al-Adha, and we will keep coming back. It gives us psychological calmness and serenity to be here.”

Their presence at Nugra Salman, on a day traditionally reserved for celebration, served as a powerful reminder of the enduring pain caused by state-sanctioned violence and the unresolved trauma carried by survivors and their families.

A Glimpse into the Past: Oral Histories and Changing Customs

In Sulaimani, Kurdistan24 conducted interviews with residents reflecting on how Eid celebrations have changed over the decades. For many, the holiday is not just a religious occasion but a cultural archive of memories and shared experiences.

One elderly resident recalled:

“Back when I was a child, we didn’t always know when exactly the first day of Eid would fall—was it today, tomorrow, or the day after? They would send a man to the Sheikh of Biara to confirm the sighting of the moon. Once he returned and announced Eid, we would go door to door greeting one another. After that, all the youth—men and women—would go to a water spring called Chna Zarke. We’d bring breakfast, tea, sugar, and we’d dance and celebrate until late evening.”

These recollections provide a vivid picture of a time when Eid was woven into the rhythms of village life, governed more by oral tradition and communal experience than by official calendars or mobile alerts.

Honoring the Departed: Visiting Cemeteries and the "Nu Cejna" Tradition

Alongside these joyful and communal traditions, a more solemn ritual persists in many parts of Kurdistan: the visit to cemeteries. Whether on the eve of Eid or early on the first day, families visit the graves of loved ones, offering prayers and cleaning the burial sites. This gesture, though not universally practiced in the Muslim world on Eid, holds particular cultural resonance in the Kurdish context.

Kurdistan24’s Hawzheen Jamal reported from Sulaimani that many families had already completed these visits in the early morning hours of Eid, beginning their holiday by paying respects to those no longer with them.

One tradition highlighted in Jamal’s report is Nu Cejna—literally “the first Eid”—a ritual observed by families who have lost a loved one between the last Eid and the current one. This symbolic first Eid without the deceased is often marked with a visit to the grave and shared mourning, giving families a moment of collective grief amidst the broader festivities.

Although some Islamic scholars express concern over the timing of these rituals—arguing that Eid, especially its first day, is meant to be a celebration among the living—they remain widely observed across the region. For many, the act of remembrance is itself a form of celebration: one that honors the continuity of family, history, and memory.

A Holiday of Many Layers

In the Kurdistan Region, Eid al-Adha emerges as a multi-layered occasion—one that blends joy with remembrance, feasting with fasting, and tradition with transformation. From shared meals with orphans in Erbil and mass sacrifices in Galdara, to prayers in the haunting landscape of Nugra Salman and nostalgic recollections in Sulaimani, the people of Kurdistan observe Eid not only as a religious duty but as a reflection of their collective spirit, history, and enduring resilience.