Eid ul-Adha, the festival of sacrifice, has been announced for the 15th October in Australia and the 16th October in Pakistan and India.

The announcement was made after the sighting of the crescent moon earlier this week in several parts of the world. Australia’s Muslim Village website reported via Saudi news channel Al-Arabiya that the date had been set for the 15th October in the Muslim kingdom. The Saudi date is observed by most Australian Muslims.

Differences in the calculation method, combined with non-visibilty of the new moon in some parts of the world mean that Eid is usually celebrated one day later in South Asian countries. Pakistan’s Express Tribune newspaper reported that the nation’s moonsighting committee, the Ruet-e-Hilal, had first sighted the new crescent moon in Quetta on Sunday, meaning that Eid will be celebrated on the 16th October in that country.

Similarly, Ummid reported on Sunday that Mumbai-based authorities had sighted the new crescent moon on Sunday, resulting in Eid on the 16th for Indian Muslims.

The advent of the new crescent moon signals the start of the month of Zul-ul-Hajj, the twelfth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Eid ul-Adha coincides on the climax of Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to the city of Makkah (Mecca).

As we count down to the biggest event in the Islamic calendar year, UrbanDuniya wishes all of its readers a happy and blessed Eid.