Calendar of Holy Days & Feasts
GC-33350
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Dearly loved Friends,
The National Spiritual Assembly is pleased to provide you with information concerning the significant dates in the Bahá’í calendar until Naw-Rúz 177 B.E. in 2020.
Ayyám-i-Há this year runs from 26 February – 1 March 2019. The fasting month begins immediately after Ayyám-i-Há, at sunset on 1 March 2019, and ends at Naw-Rúz 176 B.E. (sunset on 20 March 2019). The Holy Days for next year are stated below, with commemoration times added where relevant, which have been adjusted to accommodate British summer time.
Holy Days on which work is suspended:
- Naw-Rúz on 21 March 2019 (1 Bahá)
- First Day of Riḍván on 21 April 2019 (13 Jalál), at about 4 p.m.
- Ninth Day of Riḍván on 29 April 2019 (2 Jamál)
- Twelfth Day of Riḍván on 2 May 2019 (5 Jamál)
- Declaration of the Báb on 24 May 2019 (8 ‘Aẓamat), which is commemorated at about two hours after sunset on 23 May
- Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh on 29 May 2019 (13 ‘Aẓamat), at 4 a.m.
- Martyrdom of the Báb on 10 July 2019 (17 Raḥmat), at about 1 p.m.
- Birth of the Báb on 29 October 2019 (14 ‘Ilm)
- Birth of Bahá’u’lláh on 30 October 2019 (15 ‘Ilm)
Holy Days on which work is not suspended:
- Day of the Covenant on 26 November 2019 (4 Qawl)
- Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on 28 November 2019 (6 Qawl), at 1 a.m.
The commemoration times listed above should be observed, if feasible. Where no times are specified, the believers are free to gather at any time during the day which they find convenient.
The Feast days, ideally celebrated on the first day of the month, correspond with the following dates:
Bahá (Splendour) — 21 March 2019
Jalál (Glory) — 9 April 2019
Jamál (Beauty) — 28 April 2019
‘Aẓamat (Grandeur) — 17 May 2019
Núr (Light) — 5 June 2019
Raḥmat (Mercy) — 24 June 2019
Kalimát (Words) — 13 July 2019
Kamál (Perfection) — 1 August 2019
Asmá’ (Names) — 20 August 2019
‘Izzat (Might) — 8 September 2019
Mashíyyat (Will) — 27 September 2019
‘Ilm (Knowledge) — 16 October 2019
Qudrat (Power) — 4 November 2019
Qawl (Speech) — 23 November 2019
Masá’il (Questions) — 12 December 2019
Sharaf (Honour) — 31 December 2019
Sulṭán (Sovereignty) — 19 January 2020
Mulk (Dominion) — 7 February 2020
Ayyám-i-Há — 26 – 29 February 2020
‘Alá’ (Loftiness) — 1 March 2020
As always, the Bahá’í day runs from sunset till sunset. Thus every day listed above begins from the time of sunset on the evening prior to the Gregorian date that is stated.
We hope the above information may be of assistance to you. For further information and guidance about Bahá’í Holy Days, please see the enclosed guidance notes which have been prepared on behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly.
With our warmest love,
Patrick O’Mara,
Secretary