Happy Eid El-Kabir!

Beginning at sunset, the tenth day of Dhul-Hijjah in the Islamic calendar 1432 (November 6 for most of us) was observed by Muslims in Nigeria and in other parts of the world as Eid el-kabir ("the Greater Festival") or Eid el Adha ("Festival of Sacrifice"). The festival ended at sunset on Monday, November 7. Here in Lagos, that meant a two-day holiday from school and work.

According to an article in Nigeria's Daily Trust, Eid el-kabir is an annual Islamic event during which Muslims make animal offerings. "Muslims celebrate the occasion to commemorate the sacrifice made by Prophet Ibrahim," the article explains. "Ibrahim, or Abraham as he is known in Christendom, saw a vision in which he was divinely commanded by God to offer his only son Ismail, in sacrifice. Ismail consented to the wish of his father as well as to God's command. When Ibrahim laid his son prostate in readiness for the sacrifice, Ismail was ransomed by God with a ram. Ibrahim's willingness and Ismail's acceptance of the fate that awaited him, demonstrates patience and submission in which both father and son cheerfully offered to suffer self-sacrifice in order to obey the command of God.

"Since then, it became a rite for Muslims who possess the means to offer sacrifices, annually, on the tenth day of Dhul-Hijjah."

In Nigeria, the festival is celebrated with prayer, family gatherings and animal sacrifice—usually a goat. The meat from the sacrifice is mostly given away to others: one-third is eaten by immediate family and relatives, one-third is given away to friends, and one-third is donated to the poor.

Goats cost between 5,000 and 7,000 Naira (roughly $30 to $45). That means that when I visited the local market last week that the vendors were eager to make a deal ... they had to buy a goat before the weekend! It also meant that I saw a few goats being carted around town on Friday, including in the open trunk of a Mitsubishi compact sedan. For some reason, I also saw a few pair of donkeys around town, too. Ade says they are for riding on the beach.

Unfortunately, the "Festival of Sacrifice" was also marked by human bloodshed. Members of the Islamic group Boko Haram hit a college, and military and police units, reportedly killing more than 100 people, in northeast Nigeria. Boko Haram is a group which calls for the implementation of Sharia law across all Nigeria, is fiercely anti-western, and has been very active in the north of the country in recent years, according to International Business Times. On Sunday, U.S. authorities issued a warning to its citizens in the country to avoid hotels in the capital city of Abuja for fear of more bomb attacks. None occurred thankfully. And no violence related to the festival was reported in Lagos.

Now it is Wednesday, and it feels like a Monday. The whole family was dragging this morning as we struggled to get back into our weekday routine after a four-day weekend. But hey... only three days until the weekend!