Muslim Celebrations of Eid al-Adha Around the Globe Amid Pandemic

In 2020, Eid al-Adha was held amid dire extenuating circumstances. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, mass gatherings are banned in most countries throughout the world. Therefore, while the holiday was celebrated in mosques, the believers stayed home.

The holiday itself is usually celebrated four days in a row. But not everywhere. For example, in Turkey it is celebrated for ten days, and in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, the festivities are squeezed into three days.

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Eid al-Mashun celebration in Medan, Indonesia

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A handout picture made available by the Iranian Supreme Leader's office shows Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressing the nation in a live TV speech on the occasion of Eid al-Adha in Tehran on 31 July 2020.

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The Muslim faithful attend prayers to mark the holiday of Eid al-Adha amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at the university football stadium in the Hodan district of Mogadishu, Somalia, 31 July 2020.

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Muslims, wearing protective masks as a precaution against the coronavirus infection gather for the Eid al-Adha prayer inside the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia, which was recently converted back to a mosque, in the historic Sultanahmet district of Istanbul, Friday, 31 July 2020.

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Muslim worshippers wearing masks to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, offer Eid al-Adha prayers while maintaining social distance at the Mohammad al-Amin Mosque in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, 31 July 2020. Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, one of Islam's most important holidays, marks the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son.

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Muslim worshippers at a service during the holiday of Eid al-Adha at the Moscow Cathedral Mosque.

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A man wearing a face mask has his temperature checked to try stop the spread of coronavirus, before being allowed to go into the Manchester Central Mosque, in Manchester, northern England, as Muslims worldwide mark the start of the Eid al-Adha holiday, Friday, 31 July 2020.

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Iraqi Muslims offer Eid al-Adha prayers on the street outside Abu Hanifa mosque in Baghdad's Adhamiya district, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Iraq 31 July 2020.

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A muslim girl attends Eid al-Adha prayers at the Thai Islamic Center amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Bangkok, Thailand, 31 July 2020.

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Nigerian Muslims are seen during Eid al-Adha prayers at the National Mosque, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Abuja, Nigeria, 31 July 2020.

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Afghan men greet each other outside a mosque after prayers during the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, 31 July 2020.

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Afghan refugees offer Eid al-Adha prayers at a mosque in the Kazana refugee camp on the outskirts of Peshawar, Pakistan, Friday, 31 July 2020. During Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, Muslims slaughter sheep or cattle and distribute portions of the meat to the poor.

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A cleric leads a prayer to celebrate Eid al-Adha at Maryam Mosque in the city of Caen in northwestern France on 31 July 2020.

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Muslims during a festive prayer at the Cathedral Mosque in Novosibirsk. Due to coronavirus, Eid al-Adha is celebrated in mosques in Novosibirsk behind closed doors with the participation of only the staff and imams of the mosque.

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An aerial picture of Indonesian Muslims offering Eid al-Adha prayers at the Great Mosque of Al-Azhar, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Jakarta, Indonesia, 31 July 2020, in this photo taken by Antara Foto.

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A protective face mask is thrown on the ground during an Eid al-Adha prayer, next to the Dome of the Rock Mosque in the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem's old city, Friday, 31 July 2020.