BAHÁ’Í CALENDAR AND FESTIVALS
FOREWORD
BY DR. J. E. ESSLEMONT
From Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era
AMONG different peoples and at different times many different methods have been adopted for the measurement of time and fixing of dates, and several different calendars are still in daily use, e. g., the Gregorian in Western Europe, the Julian in many countries of Eastern Europe, the Hebrew among the Jews, and the Muḥammadan in Muslim countries.
The Báb signalized the importance of the dispensation which He came to herald, by inaugurating a new calendar. In this, as in the Gregorian Calendar, the lunar month is abandoned and the solar year is adopted.
The Bahá’í year consists of 19 months of 19 days each (i. e., 361 days), with the addition of certain “intercalary days” (four in ordinary and five in leap years) between the eighteenth and nineteenth months in order to adjust the calendar to the solar year. The Báb named the months after the attributes of God. The Bahá’í New Year, like the ancient Persian New Year, is astronomically fixed, commencing at the March equinox (March 21st), and the Bahá’í era commences with the year of the Báb’s declaration (i. e., 1844 A. D., 1260 A. H.).
In the not far distant future it will be necessary that all peoples in the world agree on a common calendar.
It seems, therefore, fitting that the new age of unity should have a new calendar free from the objections and associations which make each of the older calendars unacceptable to large sections of the world’s population, and it is difficult to see how any other arrangement could exceed in simplicity and convenience that proposed by the Báb.
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BAHÁ’Í FEASTS, ANNIVERSARIES AND DAYS OF FASTING
- Feast of Riḍván (Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh), April 21-May 2, 1863.
- Feast of Naw-Rúz (New Year), March 21.
- Declaration of the Báb, May 23, 1844.
- Fête Day of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, November 26.
- Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, November 12, 1817.
- Birth of the Báb, October 20, 1819.
- Birth of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, May 23, 1844.
- Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, May 28, 1892.
- Martyrdom of the Báb, July 9, 1850.
- Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, November 28, 1921.
- Fasting season lasts 19 days beginning with the first day of the month of ’Alá, March 2—the feast of Naw-Rúz follows immediately after.
Additional Material Gleaned from Nabíl’s Narrative (Vol. II), Regarding the Bahá’í Calendar
“The Badí‘ Calendar (Bahá’í Calendar) has been taken by me from the “Kitáb-i-Asmá”, one of the works written by the Báb. As I have observed in these days that certain believers are inclined to regard the year in which Bahá’u’lláh departed from Baghdád to Constantinople as marking the beginning of the Badí‘ Calendar, I have requested Mírzá Áqá Ján, the amanuensis of Bahá’u’lláh, to ascertain His will and desire concerning this matter. Bahá’u’lláh answered and said: ‘The year sixty A.H. (1844 A.D.), the year of the Declaration of the Báb, must be regarded as the beginning of the Badí‘ Calendar.’ The Declaration of the Báb took place on the eve of the fifth day of Jamádíyu’l-Avval, of the year 1260. A.H. It has been ordained that the solar calendar be followed, and that the vernal Equinox, the day of Naw-Rúz, be regarded as the New Year’s Day of the Badí‘ Calendar. The year sixty, in which the fifth day of Jamádíyu’l-Avval coincided with the sixty-sixth day after Naw-Rúz, has accordingly been regarded as the first year of the Badí‘ Calendar. As in that year, the day of Naw-Rúz, the vernal Equinox, preceded by sixty-six days the date of the Declaration of the Báb, I have therefore, throughout my history, regarded the Naw-Rúz of the year sixty-one A.H. (the Naw-Rúz immediately following the Declaration of the Báb) as the first Naw-Rúz of the Badí‘ Calendar. I have accordingly considered the Naw-Rúz of this present year, the year 1306 A.H., which is the 47th solar year after the Declaration of the Báb, as the 46th Naw-Rúz of the Badí‘ Calendar.
Soon after Bahá’u’lláh had left the fortress of 'Akká and was dwelling in the house of Malik, in that city, He commanded me to transcribe the text of the Badí‘ Calendar and to instruct the believers in its details. On the very day in which I received His command, I composed, in verse and prose, an exposition of the main features of that Calendar and presented it to Him. The versified copy, being now unavailable, I am herein transcribing the version in prose. The days of the week are named as follows:
- Jalál
- Jamál
- Kamál
- Fiḍál
- ‘Idál
- Istijlál
- Istiqlál
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Glory
Beauty
Perfection
Grace
Justice
Majesty
Independence
The names of the months, which are the same as the days of each month, are as follows:
Month
lst
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
Arabic name
Bahá
Jalál
Jamál
‘Aẓamat
Núr
Raḥmat
Kalimát
Asmá’
Kamál
‘Izzat
Mashíyyat
Translation
Splendor
Glory
Beauty
Grandeur
Light
Mercy
Words
Names
Perfection
Might
Will
First Days
March 21st
April 9th
April 28th
May 17th
June 5th
June 24th
July 13th
August 1st
August 20th
September 8th
September 27th
Map showing Travels of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh.
(Designed by J. F. Clevenges, Washington, D. C.)
Month
12th
13th
14th
15th
16th
17th
18th
19th
Arabic Name
‘Ilm
Qudrat
Qawl
Masá’il
Sharaf
Sulṭán
Mulk
‘Alá’
Translation
Knowledge
Power
Speech
Questions
Honor
Sovereignty
Dominion
Loftiness
First Days
October 16th
November 4th
November 23rd
December 12th
December 31st
January 19th
February 7th
March 2nd
Ayyám-i-Há (Intercalary Days) February 26th to March 1st inclusive—four in ordinary and five in leap years.
The first day of each month is thus the day of Bahá, and the last day of each month the day of ‘Alá’.
The Báb has regarded the solar year, of 365 days, 5 hours, and fifty odd minutes, as consisting of 19 months of 19 days each, with the addition of certain intercalary days. He has named the New Year’s Day, which is the Day of Naw-Rúz, the day of Bahá, of the month of Bahá. He has ordained the month of ‘Alá’ to be the month of fasting, and has decreed that the Day of Naw-Rúz should mark the termination of that period. As the Báb did not specifically define the place for the four days and the fraction of a day in the Badí‘ Calendar, the people of the Bayán were at a loss as to how they should regard them. The revelation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas in the city of ‘Akká resolved this problem and settled the issue. Bahá’u’lláh designated those days as the “Ayyám-i-Há” and ordained that they should immediately precede the month of ‘Alá’, which is the month of fasting. He enjoined upon His followers to devote these days to feasting, rejoicing, and charity. Immediately upon the termination of these intercalary days, Bahá’u’lláh ordained the month of fasting to begin. I have heard it stated that some of the people of the Bayán, the followers of Yaḥyá, have regarded these intercalary days as coming immediately after the month of ‘Alá’, thus terminating their fast five days before the day of Naw-Rúz. This, notwithstanding the explicit text of the Bayán which states that the day of Naw-Rúz must needs be the first day of the month of Bahá, and must follow immediately after the last day of the month of ‘Alá’. Others, aware of this contradiction, have started their fasting on the fifth day of the month of ‘Alá’, and included the intercalary days within the period of fasting.
Every fourth year the number of the intercalary days is raised from four to five. The day of Naw-Rúz falls on the 21st of March only if the vernal Equinox precedes the setting of the sun on that day. Should the vernal Equinox take place after sunset, Naw-Rúz will have to be celebrated on the following day.
The Báb has, moreover, in His writings, revealed in the Arabic tongue, divided the years following the date of His Revelation, into cycles of nineteen years each. The names of the years in each cycle are as follows:
1. Alif
2. Bá’
3. Ab
4. Dal
5. Báb
6. Váv
7. Abad
8. Jád
9. Bahá
10. Ḥubb
A.
B.
Father.
D.
Gate.
V.
Eternity.
Generosity.
Splendor.
Love.
11. Bahháj
12. Javáb
13. Aḥad
14. Vahháb
15. Vidád
16. Badí
17. Bahí
18. Abhá
19. Váḥid
Delightful.
Answer.
Single.
Bountiful.
Affection.
Beginning.
Luminous.
Most Luminous.
Unity.
Map showing section of route followed by Bahá’u’lláh on his journey from Baghdád to Constantinople.
Each cycle of nineteen years is called Váḥid. Nineteen cycles constitute a period called Kull-i-Shay’. The numerical value of the word “Váḥid” is nineteen, that of “Kull-i-Shay’” is 361. “Váḥid” signifies unity, and is symbolic of the unity of God.
The Báb has, moreover, stated that this system of His is dependent upon the acceptance and good-pleasure of “Him Whom God shall make manifest.” One word from Him would suffice either to establish it for all time, or to annul it forever.
For instance, the date of the 21st of April, 1930, which is the first day of Riḍván, and which according to the Kitáb-i-Aqdas must coincide with the “thirteenth day of the second Bahá’í month,” and which fell this year (1930) on Monday, would, according to the system of the Badí‘ Calendar, be described as follows:
“The day of Kamál, the day of Qudrat, of the month of Jalál, of the year Bahháj, of the fifth Váḥid, of the first Kull-i-Shay’.”
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HISTORICAL DATA GLEANED FROM NABÍL’S NARRATIVE (VOL. II) REGARDING BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
A. BAGHDÁD
- arrival latter part Jamádíyu’th-Thání
- 1269 A.H.
- March 12–April 10, 1853 A.D.
- departure for Sulaymáníyyih on
- Wednesday, April 10, 1854 A.D.—
- Rajab 12, 1270 A.H.
B. SULAYMÁNÍYYIH
- Before reaching Sulaymáníyyih, He
- lived for a time on the Sar-Galú
- mountain.
- During His absence from Baghdád,
- His family transferred their residence
- from House of Hájí ‘Alí-
- Madad to that of Sulaymáníyyih-i-Ghannám.
- Nabíl arrived at Baghdád 6 months
- after Bahá’u’lláh’s departure for
- Sulaymáníyyih.
C. BAGHDÁD
- arrived from Sulaymáníyyih on
- Wednesday, March 19, 1856 A.D.—
- Rajab 12, 1272 A.H.
Works Revealed During This Period
Qullu’ṭ-Ṭa‘ám
Prayers
Qaṣídiy-i-Varqá’íyyih
Saqíyas-Ghayb-i-Baqá
Tafsír-i—Ḥurúfár-i Muqaṭṭa’ih
Ṣaḥífiy-i-Shaṭṭíyyih
Haft—Vádí (Seven Valleys)
Tafsír-i-Hú
Lawḥ-i-Ḥúríyyih
Kitáb-i-Íqán
Kalimát-i-Maknúnih (Hidden Words)
Houses Occupied During This Period
House of Ḥají ‘Alí-Madad (in old Baghdád)
House of Sulaymán-i-Ghannám
C. BAGHDÁD—continued
- departure from Mazra‘iy-i-Vash-shásh:
- Thursday, March 26, 1863
- A.D.—Sharvál 5, 1279 A.H.
- Tablet of the Holy Mariner revealed
- while in the Mazra’iy-i-Vashshásh.
- departure from Baghdád for Constantinople
- Wednesday afternoon (first
- day of Riḍván), April 22, 1863
- A.D.—Dhi’l-Qa’dih 3, 1279 A.H.
- Súrih-i-Ṣabr revealed on first day of
- Riḍván.
- arrival at Garden of Najibíyyih (Garden
- of Riḍván), April 22, 1863
A.D.—Dhi’l-Qa’dih 3, 1279 A.H.
- arrival of Bahá’u’lláh‘s Family at Garden
- of Riḍván on eight day after
- first of Riḍván.
- departure from Garden of Riḍván for
- Constantinople last day of Riḍván,
- at noon on Sunday May 3, 1863
- A.D.—Dhi’l-Qa’dih 14, 1279 A.H.
- length of overland journey from Garden
- of Riḍván to Samsún on Black
- Sea: 110 days.
- Firayját, (arrival early afternoon—
- stayed seven days) arrived on Sunday,
- May 3, 1863 A.H. (Firayját is about 3 miles distant from Baghdád)
Judaydih, Dilí-‘Abbás, Qarih-Tapih, Ṣaláḥíyyih, (stayed two nights) Dúst-Khurmátú, Táwuq, Karkúk, (stayed two days) Irbil, Záb River, Barṭallih, Mosul, (stayed 3 days) Zákhú, Jazírih, Niṣíbin, Ḥasan-Áqá, Márdín, Diyár-Bakr, Ma’dan-Mis, Khárpút, (stayed 2 or 3 days) Ma’dan-Nuqrih, Dilík-Tásh, Sívás, Ṭúqát, Amasia, (stayed 2 days) Iláhíyyih, (while approaching Sámsún, “Lawḥ-i-Hawdaj” was revealed, )last day of overland journey) Sámsún, (stayed 7 days) Black Sea port. Sailed in a Turkish steamer about sunset for Constantinople Sinope, (arrived next day about noon) Black Sea port. Stayed few hours Anyábulí, (arrived next day)
works Revealed During This Period
Subḥána-Rabbíya’l-A’lá Shikkar-Shikan-Shavand Ḥúr-i-‘Ujáb Halih-Halih-Yá Bishárat Ghulámu’l-i-Iláhí Az-Bágh-i-Iláhí Bázávu-Bidih-Jámí
Malláḥu’l-Quds (Holy Mariner)
Súriy-i-Ṣabr
Houses Occupied During This Period
[Page 255]
D. CONSTANTINOPLE
- arrival at noon on
- Sunday, August 16, 1863 A.D.
- Rabí’u’l-Avval 1, 1280 A.H.
- Length of sea voyage from
- Sámsún to Constantinople 3 days.
- Length of journey from Constantinople
- to Adrianople 12 days.
Works Revealed During This Period
Subḥánika-Ya-Hú
Lawḥ-i-‘Abdu’l-‘Azíz Va-Vukalá
Houses Occupied during This Period
House of Shamsí Big (2 storey, near Khirgih Sharif Mosque)
House of Vísí Páshá (3 storey, near Sulṭán Muḥámmad Mosque)
Duration
1 month
3 months
1. Kúchik-Chakmachih (3 hours from Constantinople—spent one night)
2. Buyúk-Chakmachih (arrival about noon)
3. Salvarí
4. Birkás
5. Bábá-iskí
E. ADRIANOPLE
- arrival on Saturday, December 12, 1863
- A.D.-Rajab 1, 1280 A.H.
- Length of stay: 4 years, 8 months, 22 days.
- Departure from Adrianople on Wednesday,
- 12, 1868 A.D.-Rabí’u’th-Thání 22, 1285 A.H.
Works Revealed During This Period
Súriy-i-Aṣḥáb
Lawḥ-i-Ḥajj I
Lawḥ-i-Ḥajj II
Kitáb-i-Badí’
Súriy-i-Mulúk (Tablet of the Kings)
Lawḥ-i-Ru’yá
Súriy-i-Amr
Súriy-i-Damm
Alváḥ-i-Laylatu’l-Quds
Munájátháy-i-Ṣíyám (Prayers for Fasting)
Lawḥ-i-Sayyáḥ
Lawḥ-i-Napulyún I (First Tablet to Napoleon III)
Lawḥ-i-Sulṭán (Tablet to the Sháh of Persia)
Lawḥ-i-Nuqṭih
Houses Occupied During This Period
1. Khán-i-‘Aráb (caravanserai, two storey, near house of ‘Izzat-Áqá)
2. House in Murádíyyih quarter, near Takyiy-i-Mawlaví
3. House in Murádíyyih quarter, near house 2
4. Khániy-i-Amru’lláh (several stories, near Sulṭán-Salím Mosque)
5. House of Riḍá Big
6. house of Amru’lláh (3 storey. North of Sulṭán-Salím Mosque)
7. House of ‘Izzat-Áqá
Duration
3 night
1 week
6 months
1 year
3 months?
11 months
1. Uzún-Kuprí
2. Kashánih (arrived about noon. Lawḥ-i-Ra’ís (Tabletof Ra’ís) was revealed in this place)
3. Gallipoli (length of journey from Adrianople to Gallipoli about 4 days)
(after a few days stay sailed before noon in Austrian steamer for Alexandria, Eqypt)
4. Madellí, (arrived about sunset—left at night)
5. Smyrna, (stayed 2 days, left at night)
6. Alexandria, (arrived in the morning, transhipped and left at night for Haifa)
7. Port Said, (arrived morning, left the same day at night)
8. Jaffa, (left at midnight)
9. Haifa, (arrived in the morning, landed and after a few hours left on a sailing vessel for ‘Akká)
F. ‘AKKÁ
- arrival on Monday, August 31, A.D.
- 1868–Jamádíyu’l-Avval 12 1285 A.H.
- Purest Branch died on Thursday, June 23,
- 1870 A.D.-Rabí’u’l-Avval 23, 1287 A.H.
- passed away May 29, 1892 A.D.
Works Revealed During This Period
Kitáb-i-Aqdas
Lawḥ-i-Napulyún II
- (2nd Tablet to Napoleon III)
Lawḥ-i-Malikih
- (Tablet to Queen Victoria)
Lawḥ-i-Malikih-i-Rús
- (Tablet to the Czar)
Súrih-i-Haykal
Lawḥ-i-Burhán
Lawḥ-i-Ibn-i-Dhi’b
- (Epistle to Son of the Wolf)
Lawḥ-i-Páp
- (Tablet to the Pope)
Houses Occupied During This Period
1. Barracks
2. House of Malik
3. House of Rábi’ih
4. House of Manṣúr
5. House of “Abbúd (where Kitáb-i-Aqdas was revealed)
6. Mazra’ih
7. Qaṣr (Mansion, where He passed away)
Duration
2 years, 2 months, 5 days
3 months
2 or 3 months
