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

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Holy Days of the Baháʼí calendar[4]
Year Naw-Rúz 1st day of Ridván 9th day of Ridván 12th day of Ridván Declaration of the Báb Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh Martyrdom of the Báb Birth of the Báb Birth of Bahá'u'lláh Day of the Covenant Ascension of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá
2022 21 Mar 21 Apr 29 Apr 2 May 24 May 29 May 10 Jul 26 Oct 27 Oct 26 Nov 28 Nov
2023 21 Mar 21 Apr 29 Apr 2 May 24 May 29 May 10 Jul 16 Oct 17 Oct 26 Nov 28 Nov
2024 20 Mar 20 Apr 28 Apr 1 May 23 May 28 May 9 Jul 2 Nov 3 Nov 25 Nov 27 Nov
2025 20 Mar 20 Apr 28 Apr 1 May 23 May 28 May 9 Jul 22 Oct 23 Oct 25 Nov 27 Nov
2026 21 Mar 21 Apr 29 Apr 2 May 24 May 29 May 10 Jul 10 Nov 11 Nov 26 Nov 28 Nov
2027 21 Mar 21 Apr 29 Apr 2 May 24 May 29 May 10 Jul 30 Oct 31 Oct 26 Nov 28 Nov
2028 20 Mar 20 Apr 28 Apr 1 May 23 May 28 May 9 Jul 19 Oct 20 Oct 25 Nov 27 Nov
2029 20 Mar 20 Apr 28 Apr 1 May 23 May 28 May 9 Jul 7 Nov 8 Nov 25 Nov 27 Nov
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

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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

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General holy days

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Naw-Rúz

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

Holy days associated with the Báb

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The Birth of the Báb

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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

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

Martyrdom of the Báb

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Annually on Raḥmat 17. See Martyrdom of the Báb

Holy days associated with Baháʼu'lláh

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The Birth of Baháʼu'lláh

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

Festival of Ridván

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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."[5] 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.

Annually on ʻAẓamat 13.

Holy days associated with ʻAbdu'l-Bahá

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

Day of the Covenant

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Annually on Qawl 4. See Day of the Covenant

Ascension of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá

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

Twin Holy Birthdays

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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][6] (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][7])

See Twin Holy Birthdays and Birth of Baháʼu'lláh.

See also

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References

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  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. ^ 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.
  3. ^ a b c d The Universal House of Justice (2014-07-10). "To the Baháʼís of the World". Retrieved 2014-07-10.
  4. ^ Universal House of Justice (2014-07-10). "Regarding the Implementation of the Badi` Calendar". Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  5. ^ Walbridge, John (2003-10-02). "Ridvan". Retrieved 2006-09-23 – via Baháʼí Library Online.
  6. ^ Momen, Moojan (2014). The Badíʻ (Baháʼí) Calendar: An Introduction Archived 2015-01-11 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ^ 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

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