Eid Al-Adha in Egypt: Egyptians celebrate start of three day feast

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Muslims around the world are taking part in Eid Al-Adha festivities. The holiday commemorates the story of Ibrahim who Muslims believe was told by God to sacrifice his son as a test of his faith. They believe that God then told Ibrahim to sacrifice a sheep instead. Yasser Hakim looks at how Egyptians spend the three-day feast.

The rituals begin early in the morning as Muslims flock to the mosques around the country for the Eid prayers just after sunrise. In many cases, the children accompany their parents. And after the prayers the families gather at the parks for a morning picnic.

GHADA CAIRO RESIDENT "After we finish here I will be visiting my relatives and then take my young brother and sister out, maybe to the movies."

BASSAM SYRIAN VISITOR "The Eid in Egypt is like no other place. We finish prayer and just outside the mosque there's a DJ playing. You feel like in a carnival atmosphere. I've never seen anything like it in any Arab country. It's a lot of fun."

A morning stroll on the Nile or a boat ride is also a popular outing before the noon heat wave strikes.

YASSER HAKIM CAIRO, EGYPT "To encourage social solidarity, well off Muslims are required to sacrifice a sheep or cow. They would keep a third of its meat and distribute the two thirds to the poor who cannot afford it."

Therefore, the Eid is a busy time for butchers.

MAHMOUD HUSSEIN BUTCHER "The demand on sheep is less than last year. This year we sold more cows than sheep because the meat is cheaper this year so cows are cheaper with more meat."

The Eid Al Adha is a three day vacation but most Egyptians in the public and private sectors have been given the whole week off to enjoy the festive season. Yasser Hakim, CGTN, Cairo.