For many Muslims in the Middle East, another Eid arrived this week with little joy, under the shadow of war.

Eid al-Adha, which marks the sacred Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, began on Wednesday. In a region battered by conflict, the festive holiday — known to some as the “Big Eid,” compared with Eid al-Fitr, which celebrates the end of Ramadan — has been defined less by family celebrations than by mourning, displacement and uncertainty.

Many people have been anxiously following the news, watching for signs of a cease-fire agreement that could end the fighting between Iran and the United States. And reminders of the conflict, or of the war in Gaza that preceded it, seem to be everywhere.

Hundreds of people in their finest clothes gathered Wednesday for morning Eid prayers at Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque in Beirut, the Lebanese capital scarred by Israeli bombardment. Afterward, many moved into nearby Martyrs’ Square, where families and friends embraced, posed for photographs and tried, however briefly, to create a sense of festivity.

“We have to be happy and celebrate, even if it’s only for a short time,” said Ahmed Mohamed, 32, an immigrant from Sudan who works at a cafe.