Iranians have spent millions of dollars sacrificing as many as 170,000 sheep and other livestock for this year’s Eid al-Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice, according to a report by Iran Veterinary Organization.
Apart from the Muslim pilgrims in Saudi Arabia who are required to slaughter livestock as an important part of their religious ceremony for the hajj, many people inside Iran perform the ritual.
Based on data provided by Tehran guild of mutton distributors, a sheep is priced at 120,000 rials ($3.7) per kilogram. Considering the average 50-kilogram weight, every sheep will cost around 6 million rials ($185).
As much as 360 billion rials ($11.1 million) has been spent on buying sheep and other livestock in Tehran Province alone, while the figure exceeds 1 trillion rials ($30.8 million) across the country.
Millions of Muslims across Iran celebrate Eid al-Adha (which fell on Sunday this year). The feast marks the culmination of the annual hajj pilgrimage and many Muslims slaughter cattle, goats, and sheep in commemoration of prophet Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son to show obedience to God.
During the religious festival, Muslims slaughter livestock and distribute meat among relatives and the poor.
