Bahá'ís of Abbotsford BC

Bahá’ís commemorate 11 holy days each year. These occasions are usually observed with community gatherings in large or small settings, with programs befitting the significance of the day.

In 2019 these days are:

1. 20  March: Naw Rúz, the Bahá’í New Year.

2. 20  April: First Day of Ridván (meaning “Paradise” in Arabic) — the most important of the Bahá’í

   holy days. It is the day on which Bahá’u’lláh declared His mission as a Messenger of God.

3. 28  April: Ninth Day of Ridván, the day on which Bahá’u’lláh’s family joined Him in the Garden of

   Ridván.

4. 1 May: Twelfth Day of Ridván, the day on which Bahá’u’lláh and His family left the garden to

   travel to Constantinople.

5. 23 May: Declaration of the Báb, the anniversary of the Báb’s announcement of His mission in

   1844.

6. 28  May: Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, marking the passing of Bahá’u’lláh in 1892.

7. 9 July: Martyrdom of the Báb, Who was executed in 1850.

8. 2 November : Birth of the Báb.

9. 3 November : Birth of Bahá’u’lláh.

     10. 25 November: Day of the Covenant, commemorating Bahá’u’lláh’s appointment of His son,

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as the One to whom His followers should turn after His passing.

     11. 27  November: Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, marking the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1921.

Note: Bahá’ís suspend work on all but the last two of these holy days.

Other special days in 2017:

January 19, 2020: World Religion Day

A Bahá’í initiative, inaugurated in 1950 by the Bahá’ís of the USA, and now celebrated worldwide the 3rd Sunday in January.

25 February to 28 February : Ayyám-i-Há (also known as the Intercalary Days), a period of celebration devoted to charity, gift-giving and festivities prior to the annual period of fasting.

01–19 March: The month of fasting, during which Bahá’ís from the age of 15 abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset. There are exemptions, including for those who are ill, elderly, traveling, pregnant or breastfeeding.

Early September