These teacher notes have been prepared by the Council on Islamic Education. CIE is a national non-profit educational resource organization dedicated to providing information on Islam and Muslims to public school teachers, textbook publishers, and others involved in the education field.

Islam has two major religious celebrations. The first occurs after the completion of Ramadan, the month when Muslims fast daily from dawn to sunset as part of an effort towards self-purification and betterment. This holiday is known as Eid al-Fitr, or the "Festival of Breaking the Fast." See this page for more information on Ramadan.

The second major Islamic celebration takes place during the time of the Hajj, or annual pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca). This week-long event occurs two months and ten days after Ramadan ends, during the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijjah. The end of the Hajj is marked by the holiday Eid al-Adha, or the "Festival of Sacrifice."

The Hajj consists of several ceremonies, meant to symbolize the essential concepts of the Islamic faith, and to commemorate the trials of prophet Abraham and his family. Over two million Muslims perform the pilgrimage to Makkah annually, and the rest of the over one billion Muslims world-wide celebrate the Eid holiday in conjunction with the Hajj pilgrims.

In order to teach about the important holidays of Islam, teachers may freely print out these pages and distribute them to their students. After providing 15-20 minutes to read the pages, teachers can use the provided questions to guide discussion and elicit responses from the students. Some suggested activities for students are also included.

Tent camp for Hajj pilgrims outside Makkah