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Pilgrims cast stones in symbolic rite of hajj

Mina, Saudi Arabia • Millions of pilgrims in Saudi Arabia on Friday furiously cast pebbles in a symbolic stoning of the devil, carrying out a final rite of hajj, as Muslims around the world celebrated the start of Islam's biggest holiday, the Feast of Sacrifice. After stoning three walls symbolizing Satan in a rejection of sin and temptation, male pilgrims changed out of the terrycloth robes of pilgrimage and shaved their heads, as a sign of renewal. Women — and those men who prefer not to undergo a shave — had a lock of hair clipped. Pilgrims could now call themselves "hajjis" — those who have done the pilgrimage.