Lower spending, rising prices and fewer animal sacrifices dampened the usual festive spirit as Muslims around the world marked Eid al-Adha.
In Jakarta, worshippers packed the streets and filled the Istiqlal Grand Mosque for Friday morning prayers.
Known as the “Feast of Sacrifice,” Eid al-Adha coincides with the final rituals of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. It is a time of joy and generosity, with devout Muslims purchasing and slaughtering animals, sharing two-thirds of the meat with those in need.
Outside the capital, the Jonggol Cattle Market buzzed with hundreds of traders hoping to sell sacrificial animals. While sales rose ahead of the holiday, sellers said the pandemic’s economic fallout has led to fewer customers in recent years.
A foot-and-mouth disease outbreak from 2022 to 2023 also significantly dampened the typically booming holiday trade in goats, cows and sheep, though Indonesia’s government has worked to overcome that outbreak.
