Baháʼí Holy Days

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

Holy Days
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

Historical dates, as celebrated in the west before March 21, 2015
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 of the Bahá’í calendar

Naw-Rúz

Annually on Bahá 1. Naw-Rúz marks the beginning of spring.

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

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.

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.
Smith, Peter (2000). "holy days". A concise encyclopedia of the Baháʼí Faith. Oxford: Oneworld Publications. pp. 182–183. ISBN 1-85168-184-1.
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.

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

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[nsausa-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.

[holy-days-2] Smith, Peter (2000). "holy days". A concise encyclopedia of the Baháʼí Faith. Oxford: Oneworld Publications. pp. 182–183. ISBN 1-85168-184-1.

[Clarifications-3] The Universal House of Justice (2014-07-10). "To the Baháʼís of the World". Retrieved 2014-07-10.

[ridvan-4] Walbridge, John (2003-10-02). "Ridvan". Retrieved 2006-09-23 – via Baháʼí Library Online.

[momen-intro-5] Momen, Moojan (2014). The Badíʻ (Baháʼí) Calendar: An Introduction Archived 2015-01-11 at the Wayback Machine.

[rob4-6] 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.