Dubai (National Times) Muslims in some parts of the world are sacrificing animals today (Sunday) to celebrate the religious festival of Eid ul Adha, also known as the festival of sacrifice.

This festival is celebrated in the 12th Islamic month which is called Zil Hajj. It is the last month of the Islamic lunar calendar during which Muslims perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

Today, Muslims across the Middle East, the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Australia are marking the first day of the three-day celebration of Eid ul Adha.

The Middle Eastern countries include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Syria, Yemen, Kuwait, Oman, and Iraq.

According to the Saudi Gazette, Muslims in Saudi Arabia attended the Eid prayer on Sunday in over 12,000 mosques, including the Grand Mosque of Makkah and Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

Meanwhile, over 1.5 million pilgrims from around 180 countries attended the dawn prayer on Sunday, after staying overnight at the holy site of Muzdalifah following their descent from Arafat on Saturday after sunset, as part of the Hajj rituals.

They will now throw pebbles at Jamarat Al Aqabah and perform the sacrifice ritual, men will shave their heads and then leave for Makkah to perform Tawaf Al Ifada and Sai’, two other pillars of Hajj, Saudi Gazette reported.

Meanwhile, Muslims across the UAE kicked off Eid ul Adha celebrations with prayers and greetings on Sunday morning, Khaleej Times reported.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed on Saturday sent cables of congratulations to the kings, emirs, and presidents of Arab and Islamic nations on the occasion.

Sheikh Mohamed wished them and their people continued progress, prosperity and stability.

Residents in the UAE are marking the celebration with a four-day weekend that began on Saturday and will last until Tuesday.

Additionally, residents of Abu Dhabi and Dubai are set to enjoy stunning fireworks displays at different locations at 9pm on Sunday.