Egypt's bank holidays of Eid Al-Adha and the 41st anniversary of the 1973 October War will be combined for government clerical staff, starting Friday 3 October and continuing until Wednesday 8 October. A ministerial decision issued by Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab Saturday states that workers at publicly owned companies will go back to work a day earlier, on 7 October. Eid Al-Adha, which lasts for four days, is the second of two religious holidays celebrated by Muslims worldwide each year. It starts this year on Saturday, 4 October. Millions of Muslims will attend Eid prayers in public spaces on 4 October to mark the festival. Al-Adha marks the start of the Islamic pilgrimage to the holy site of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Well-off Muslims traditionally mark the celebration with a ritual sacrifice of sheeps and cows, as a symbol of the prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismael. Part of the meat is then distributed to the poor. Egypt traditionally celebrates the anniversary of the October War against Israel, which led to the recovery of the Sinai, with military performances and flyovers. The day is a public holiday. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/111821.aspx
