Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha around the world

A time for reflection and prayer.

Muslims around the world celebrated the Eid al-Adha holiday on Sept. 12. It isone of the two most important festivals of the Islamic calendar.The holiday marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and commemorates the readiness of Prophet Ibrahim (who isalso known as Abraham to Christians and Jews) to sacrifice his son to show obedience to God.In this photo, manyMuslims gather inSanaa, Yemen, tooffer prayers ofcelebration.

While Eid al-Adha is a celebration, it is also a time for reflection and prayer.In this photo, people gather for prayers to mark the holidayat the Central Mosque in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

A trader pushes his goat past an idol of elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesha as he takes it to sell ahead of the festivitiesin Bangalore, India. Muslims mark the holiday by slaughtering animals such as sheep and goats. The meat is shared among family and friends and also donated to the poor.

An Afghan guard of honour looks out as other offerprayers at the Hazrat-i-Ali shrine in Mazar-i Sharif, Afghanistan.

Kids take part in the festivities.

While prayer is an important part of the holiday,many children could be seen taking part in the celebrations worldwide. ThisPalestinian girl is at a morning prayer gathering in Gaza City.

In Afghanistan, thisboy feeds pigeons at theHazrat-i-Ali shrine inMazar-iSharif.

Outside the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem'sAl-Aqsamosque compound, this Palestinianman plays with a young boy within the crowd celebrating Eidal-Adha.

Some children read the Qur'an to celebrate, like these children at a school in TaguigCity in the Philippines.

Muslims mark Eidal-Adhawith many traditions.

Outside of killing animals like sheep, goats and other livestock to give to the poor, there are many other traditions that Muslims take part in.These workers are preparing traditional cookies to sell just before Eidal-Adhain Jerusalem's Old City. They aresome of the many delicacies that are brought out to celebrate the holiday.

Henna tattoos are another custom typically done around Eidal-Adhaand other special celebrations. Henna art has been around for thousands of years and is closely associated with Middle Eastern culture.

Henna art isn't the only type of elaborate decoration you'll find. Here, a vendor in Pakistan adds a design on a camel to attract customers to a cattle market on Sept. 1, days before the festivities.

Muslims in Dubai celebrated Eidal-Adhawith a spectacular fireworks display on Sept. 11.