What it means
عید قربان (eid-e ghorbân) is the Islamic festival of sacrifice, known in Arabic as Eid al-Adha. Both words come from Arabic: عید (eid) means festival, and قربان (ghorbân) means offering or sacrifice, derived from the Arabic root meaning to draw close. The holiday commemorates the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son as commanded by God. It falls on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijja, the Islamic lunar month, coinciding with the end of the Hajj pilgrimage. A related concept is قربانی کردن (ghorbâni kardan), meaning to slaughter an animal as an act of devotion.
How to use it
- عید قربان مبارک باشه! (eid-e ghorbân mobârak bâshe!) “Blessed Eid al-Adha!”
- توی عید قربان گوسفند ذبح میکنن. (tuye eid-e ghorbân gusfand zabh mikonan.) “At Eid al-Adha they slaughter a sheep.”
- گوشت قربانی رو بین فقرا تقسیم کردن. (gusht-e ghorbâni ro beyn-e foqarâ taqsim kardan.) “They divided the sacrificial meat among the poor.”
- عید قربان هفتاد روز بعد از عید فطره. (eid-e ghorbân haftâd ruz ba’d az eid-e fetré.) “Eid al-Adha is seventy days after Eid al-Fitr.”
Cultural note
عید قربان is a public holiday in Iran and is observed with communal prayers and the ritual slaughter of livestock such as sheep, cows, or camels. The meat is traditionally divided into three portions: one for the family, one for relatives and friends, and one for those in need. Many Iranian Muslims who are not performing Hajj still participate in the spirit of the day through sacrifice and charity at home. The holiday carries deep spiritual weight as a reminder of submission to God and compassion for the poor.