Bahá'í Holy Days

The Bahá'í Faith has eleven holy days, which are important anniversaries in the history of the religion. On nine of these holy days, work is suspended.[1] There is no fixed format for any of the holy days, and Bahá’í communities organize their own commemorative meetings.[2]

All but two of the holy days are scheduled annually on fixed dates in the Badí‘ Calendar. The Twin Holy Birthdays are scheduled annually according to a lunar calculation.[3]

Besides the eleven holy days, Bahá'ís also celebrate Ayyám-i-Há, a period of several extra days in the calendar (followed by the Nineteen Day Fast).

Table of dates

Holy Days
Name[2] Date on the Badí‘ Calendar Number of Days after Naw-Rúz Usual date on the Gregorian Calendar
Naw-Rúz 20 March/Naw-Rúz 21 March 		Special time of celebration or commemoration[2] Work Suspended[2]
Naw-Rúz (Bahá'í New Year) Bahá 1 March 20/21 - Yes
First day of Riḍván Jalál 13 31 April 20/21 3 p.m. (Standard Time) Yes
Ninth day of Riḍván Jamál 2 39 April 28/29 - Yes
Twelfth day of Riḍván Jamál 5 42 May 1/2 - Yes
Declaration of the Báb ‘Aẓamat 8 64 May 23/24 2 hours after sunset on preceding day Yes
Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh ‘Aẓamat 13 69 May 28/29 3 a.m. (Standard Time) Yes
Martyrdom of the Báb Raḥmat 17 111 July 9/10 12 noon Yes
Birth of the Báb First of the Twin Holy Birthdays; celebrated on the first day after the eighth new moon following Naw-Rúz (Ilm 7, October 21, in 2017)[3] - Yes
Birth of Bahá'u'lláh Second of the Twin Holy Birthdays; celebrated on the second day after the eighth new moon following Naw-Rúz (Ilm 8, October 22, in 2017)[3] - Yes
Day of the Covenant Qawl 4 250 November 25/26 - No
Ascension of `Abdu'l-Bahá Qawl 6 252 November 27/28 1 a.m. (Standard Time) No

Historical dates

Historical dates, as celebrated in the west before March 21, 2015
Name[2] Gregorian Dates[2]
Naw-Rúz (Bahá'í New Year) March 21
First day of Riḍván April 21
Ninth day of Riḍván April 29
Twelfth day of Riḍván May 2
Declaration of the Báb May 24
Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh May 29
Martyrdom of the Báb July 9
Birth of the Báb October 20
Birth of Bahá'u'lláh November 12
Day of the Covenant November 26
Ascension of `Abdu'l-Bahá November 28

Holy days

General holy days

Naw-Rúz

Annually on Bahá 1. See Naw-Rúz

Holy days associated with the Báb

The Birth of the Báb

Annually in October or November. The The Báb was born two years after Bahá'u'lláh, on the first of the Twin Holy Birthdays.

Declaration of the Báb

Annually on ‘Aẓamat 8. See Declaration of the Bab to Mullá Husayn

Martyrdom of the Báb

Annually on Raḥmat 17. See Martyrdom of the Báb

Holy days associated with Bahá'u'lláh

The Birth of Baha'u'llah

Annually in October or November. Bahá'u'lláh was born on the second of the Twin Holy Birthdays. See also: Birth of Baha'u'llah.

Festival of Ridván

The Festival of Ridván, a twelve-day festival that commemorates Bahá'u'lláh's announcement to be the Manifestation of God, is the most holy Bahá'í festival to which Bahá'u'lláh referred as the "Most Great Festival."[4] The first, ninth and twelfth days of the festival are celebrated as holy days.

Annually on Jalál 13, Jamál 2 and Jamál 5.

See Festival of Ridván.

Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh

Annually on ‘Aẓamat 13.

Holy days associated with `Abdu'l-Bahá

On these two holy days, the suspension of work is not required.

Day of the Covenant

Annually on Qawl 4. See Day of the Covenant

Ascension of `Abdu'l-Bahá

Annually on Qawl 6. See Ascension of `Abdu'l-Bahá

Twin Holy Birthdays

The Twin Holy Birthdays of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh are celebrated on the first and second day following the eighth new moon after Naw-Rúz.[3][5] (In the Islamic lunar calendar, the births of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh fell on consecutive days - the first and second day of Muharram, respectively, two years apart.[2][6])

See Twin Holy Birthdays and Birth of Baha'u'llah.

See also

References

  1. ↑ National Spiritual Assembly of the United States (2006-03-05). "The Badi Calendar" (PDF). bahai.us. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2006. Retrieved 2006-09-23.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Smith, Peter (2000). "holy days". A concise encyclopedia of the Bahá'í Faith. Oxford: Oneworld Publications. pp. 182–183. ISBN 1-85168-184-1.
  3. 1 2 3 4 The Universal House of Justice (2014-07-10). "To the Bahá’ís of the World". Retrieved 2014-07-10.
  4. ↑ Walbridge, John (2003-10-02). "Ridvan". Retrieved 2006-09-23.
  5. ↑ Momen, Moojan (2014). The Badí` (Bahá'í) Calendar: An Introduction.
  6. ↑ Taherzadeh, Adib (1987). The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, Volume 4: Mazra'ih & Bahji 1877-92. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. p. 334. ISBN 0-85398-270-8.

Further reading


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