LEWISTON — Parking lots at The Colisée and Longley School were filled and Birch Street was lined with vehicles Wednesday morning as about 1,500 Muslims from Lewiston and beyond celebrated Eid Al-Adha. 

“It’s our biggest holiday (along with) Ramadan,” Abdulkadir Mohamed said, coming out of prayer at The Colisée. 

Eid Al-Adha is one of the two main celebrations for Muslims each year. It falls in the final month of the Islamic calendar, ending a nine-day holy period of prayer, reflection and often fasting, with Eid Al-Adha itself being a day of celebrating and feasting.

The celebration was so widely attended that worshippers overflowed The Colisée and filled the Longley School for a separate worship later in the morning.

Daud Osman said the holiday isn’t just a day for happiness and for breaking the fast — it’s also to teach people about respect and friendship. 

“We’re all one community, we all love each other and we teach people peace,” Osman said. “People are very happy today to be able to join in together, to spend time together, to see new faces. It’s a lot of joy. Children are happy, everybody is off from work.”

Anwar Ahmed, 14, said the day may be marked by prayer, but it’s ultimately about family and those held closest.

“Everyone feels like family mostly … with the whole community coming together,” he said.

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“It’s kind of like Christmas, but for Muslims,” added Anwar’s 13-year-old brother Ahmed Ahmed. “It’s a time to pray to God and hope for the best.”

Aside from the speeches, the Ahmeds looked forward to breaking their fast with a home-cooked meal from their mother. 

“I’m looking forward to the beef and bread,” Anwar Ahmed said.