Lamb Markets and Religious Observances
Lamb holds a significant meaning in the observances of many major religions, and lamb and mutton are dietary staples in many countries. According to the 2001 census data, a large portion Ontario’s population increase since 1996 was due to immigration. As ethnic diversity increases, the traditional patterns of supply and demand for lamb in Ontario may change (Click here for demographics of religions in Canada). As such, there is substantial advantage in learning about the type of lambs preferred for these markets.
Lamb is a traditional dish for many important events and celebrations. As well as the holidays listed below, demand for lamb may increase before the summer long weekends and prior to various other ethnic observances. The Interfaith Calendar website gives a complete listing of the religious observances of major religions.
Western or Roman Easter: Easter lambs should be freshly weaned (milk fed) and not older than 3 months of age. Numbers of lambs under 65 lb begin to increase approximately three weeks before Easter, and peak during the week before Easter. Numbers of 65-79lb lambs tend to increase during this time as well. Although volume increases are fairly predictable from year to year, price patterns varied considerably during these years. Click here for graphs of Easter lamb sales in Ontario.
· March 23, 2008
· April 12, 2009
· April 4 , 2010
· March 24, 2011
Eastern or Greek Orthodox Easter: Generally speaking the same type of lamb preferred for Western Easter is preferred for Orthodox Easter. Orthodox Easter very often falls on the same day or within a week of Western Easter, making it difficult to determine demand and supply patterns from past data.
· April 27, 2008
· April 19, 2009
· April 4, 2010
· April 24, 2011
Passover: Passover is an eight-day Jewish observance, which generally falls in close proximity to Easter.
· April 20-27, 2008
· April 9-16, 2009
· March 30-April 6, 2010
· April 19-26, 2011
Christmas: Lambs preferred for the Christmas market are similar to those preferred for Easter (ie. light weight and milk fed). Out-of-season breeding is required to produce the favoured type of lamb for this market. Click here for graphs of Christmas lamb sales in Ontario.
Christmas will fall on December 25 for the foreseeable future :)
Id al Adha: Id al Adha or Eid al Adha, the festival of sacrifice, is one of the most important observances in the Islamic faith. Lambs should be under a year of age and be unblemished. Blemishes may include open wounds, torn ears or other physical unsoundness. In some cases, wethers and lambs with docked tails may not be acceptable. This observance may also be referred to as Qurbani, although this term more correctly refers to the actual act of slaughtering the animal. Id al Adha is a three-day celebration. As with Ramadan the exact dates of the holiday are dependent on moon sightings (see the Note on the Hijah or Islamic Calendar). The dates listed below are the estimated first day of the holiday. Click here for graphs of lamb sales in Ontario during Id al Adha.
· December 20, 2007
· December 8, 2008
· November 28, 2009
· November 17, 2010
· November 7, 2011
Ramadan: Ramadan is the most significant of the Islamic holy months. During the month Muslims fast during the daylight hours, but often prepare special foods for family and friends after the sun has set. Lambs can be either male (castrated or intact) or female and not older than a year of age. Preferred lambs are between 60-80lbs live weight and not overly fat. The first day of observance can vary slightly from the dates stated (see the Note on the Hijah or Islamic Calendar).
· September 13, 2007
· September 2, 2008
· August 22, 2009
· September 24, 2010
· September 24, 2011
Id al Fitr: Id al Fitr is the Festival of breaking of the Ramadan fast, and occurs at the end of the month of Ramadan. Generally the same type of lamb is preferred as for Ramadan.
· October 13, 2007
· October 2, 2008
· September 21, 2009
· October 24, 2010
· October 24, 2011