CNN —

While holidays are often marked by parties, shared meals, gift-giving and special outfits, experts say there’s health benefits to remembering the meaning behind the celebration.

The three-day holiday of Eid-al-Adha commemorates the story in the Quran of God appearing to Ibrahim, or Abraham, in a dream and commanding him to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience. The holiday, which starts on Friday this year, is determined by the lunar calendar, and Saudi Arabia announces the dates according to its time zone.

Muslims believe that as Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, an angel of God stopped him and gave him a ram to sacrifice in place of his son. A version of the story also appears in both Christian and Jewish scriptures.

Many people kick off the holiday by calling an

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