Baháʼí Holy Days
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The Baháʼí 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 Baháʼí communities organize their own commemorative meetings.[2]
All but two of the holy days are scheduled annually on fixed dates in the Baháʼí calendar. The Twin Holy Birthdays are scheduled annually according to a lunar calculation.[3]
Besides the eleven holy days, Baháʼís also celebrate Ayyám-i-Há, a period of several extra days in the calendar (followed by the Nineteen Day Fast).
Table of dates[]
| Name[2] | Date on the Bahá'í 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 (Baháʼí 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 | ʻAẓamat 8 | 64 | May 23/24 | 2 hours after sunset on preceding day | Yes |
| Ascension of Baháʼu'lláh | ʻAẓamat 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 (mid-October to mid-November)[3] | - | Yes | ||
| Birth of Baháʼu'lláh | Second of the Twin Holy Birthdays; celebrated on the second day after the eighth new moon following Naw-Rúz (mid-October to mid-November)[3] | - | Yes | ||
| Day of the Covenant | Qawl 4 | 250 | November 25/26 | - | No |
| Ascension of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá | Qawl 6 | 252 | November 27/28 | 1 a.m. (Standard Time) | No |
Historical dates[]
| Name[2] | Gregorian Dates[2] |
|---|---|
| Naw-Rúz (Baháʼí 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 Baháʼu'lláh | May 29 |
| Martyrdom of the Báb | July 10 |
| Birth of the Báb | October 20 |
| Birth of Baháʼu'lláh | November 12 |
| Day of the Covenant | November 26 |
| Ascension of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá | November 28 |
Holy days[]
General holy days[]
Naw-Rúz[]
Annually on Bahá 1.marks the beginning of spring See Naw-Rúz
Holy days associated with the Báb[]
The Birth of the Báb[]
Annually in October or November. The Báb was born two years after Baháʼu'lláh, on the first of the Twin Holy Birthdays.
Declaration of the Báb[]
Annually on ʻAẓamat 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 Baháʼu'lláh[]
The Birth of Baha'u'llah[]
Annually in October or November. Baháʼu'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 Baháʼu'lláh's announcement to be the Manifestation of God, is the most holy Baháʼí festival to which Baháʼu'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 Baháʼu'lláh[]
Annually on ʻAẓamat 13.
Holy days associated with ʻAbdu'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 ʻAbdu'l-Bahá[]
Annually on Qawl 6. See Ascension of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá
Twin Holy Birthdays[]
The Twin Holy Birthdays of the Báb and Baháʼu'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 Baháʼu'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[]
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c d e f g Smith, Peter (2000). "holy days". A concise encyclopedia of the Baháʼí Faith. Oxford: Oneworld Publications. pp. 182–183. ISBN 1-85168-184-1.
- ^ a b c d The Universal House of Justice (2014-07-10). "To the Baháʼís of the World". Retrieved 2014-07-10.
- ^ Walbridge, John (2003-10-02). "Ridvan". Retrieved 2006-09-23 – via Baháʼí Library Online.
- ^ Momen, Moojan (2014). The Badíʻ (Baháʼí) Calendar: An Introduction Archived 2015-01-11 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Taherzadeh, Adib (1987). The Revelation of Baháʼu'lláh, Volume 4: Mazra'ih & Bahji 1877-92. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. p. 334. ISBN 0-85398-270-8.
Further reading[]
- Baháʼí World Centre (2017). Days of Remembrance - Selections from the Writings of Baháʼu'lláh for Baháʼí Holy Days.
External links[]
- Baháʼí Dates 172 to 221 B.E. (2015 – 2065; prepared by the Baháʼí World Centre) (pdf)
- Feasts & Holy Days (dynamic display of Holy Days, adjusted by year for your position - correct before and after 2015)
- Related documents on Baháʼí Library Online
- Bahá'í holy days