Roda Warsame holds up a phone to take a photo of herself and Hani Mire following prayers during the Eid al-Adha festivities at The Aud Tuesday morning. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
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It's Eid al-Adha, and Muslims in Waterloo region gathered Tuesday to celebrate.
The festival marks the end of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
Prayers opened the Eid al-Adha celebrations Tuesday morning at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
It's also known as the Festival of Sacrifice to mark when the Prophet Ibrahim showed his willingness to kill his son for Allah and Allah gave Ibrahim a ram to sacrifice instead.
Men take part in prayers at the Eid al-Adha celebrations Tuesday morning. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
It differs from Eid al-Fitr, which is celebrated at the end of the holy month of Ramadan. That was celebrated this year in June.
Sisters Kinda, left, and Raneem Almohammad, say for them, Eid al-Adha is about being with friends and family. "All the families come together, like friends and stuff, so they'll all be together and have fun," Kinda says. "It's just about families," Reneem added. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
On Tuesday, hundreds gathered at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, and the day started with prayers followed by a celebration that included bouncy castles, fire trucks, a barbecue and sweets.
Food served after prayers included salad, pitas, samosas and desserts. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
Much of the planned activities, like bouncy castles, had to be moved indoors due to rain, but it didn't slow down the celebration.
Five-month-old Mehmood Kurashi takes in his first Eid al-Adha celebrations with dad, Faheem Kurashi. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
A boy offers a firefighter a date. Part of the celebrations for Eid al-Adha include doing good deeds and celebrating with friends, family and neighbours with sweets. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
The Tulimat family of Kitchener takes photos at one of the fire trucks at the celebrations. The family came to the region two years ago from Syria. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
