This Muslim Community Celebrated Eid With a Goat-Shaped Cake Instead of Slaughtering an Animal

Bakr Eid, also known as Eid al-Adha, is a holy holiday that many Muslims celebrate on September 11 and September 12. Festivities for this day include exchanging special prayers and greetings, eating delicious traditional foods, and … sacrificing a goat. If one of those actions doesn’t seem like the other, and somewhat out of place, you wouldn’t be the first one to think so. Murdering a goat at a “Sacrifice Feast” seems oddly barbaric and archaic in this day and age, especially for a ceremony where there will likely be attendants of all different ages, looking to have a relaxing and peaceful time. Turns out Muslim Rashtriya Manch, a muslim group in Andwah, India, felt the same and decided to do away with the goat sacrifice and celebrate a “blood-free Eid” this year.

The goats at this year’s festival were present merely for tradition, familiarity, and some sweet interactions! 

Instead of feasting on a goat meat dinner, the group passed out slices of this adorable goat-shaped cake! That’s compassion if we’ve ever seen it. 

This Muslim group’s decision may seem small in scale, but it has the power to spread a great message. As Raees Khan, one of the leaders of the ceremony told Indian Express, the gesture was a message to society that this festival is capable of more compassion than it has exhibited in the past. Co-leader, Hasan Kausar, reiterated Khan’s thoughts, sharing “Bakr-Eid can be celebrated also by cutting a cake just like people celebrate birth anniversaries. The Bakr-Eid festival spreads a message of humanity.” We hope that other groups who celebrate Eid will be inspired by this story of mercy and empathy and be encouraged to do the same at their own festivals next year.

All image source: India Times