Bahá’í Holy Days
The Bahá’í Faith has its own calendar, the Badí Calendar. The adoption of a new calendar in each religious era is a symbol of the power of the divine revelation to reshape human perception of material, social, and spiritual reality. Through it, sacred moments are distinguished, humanity’s place in time and space reimagined, and the rhythm of life recast.
Bahá’ís commemorate 11 Holy Days each year. These occasions are usually observed with community gatherings in the various neighbourhoods, open to all, and with programmes befitting the significance of the day.
| Holy Days | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Naw-Rúz The Bahá’í New Year. | 20 Mar | 20 Mar |
| 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 Messenger of God. | 20 Apr | 20 Apr |
| Ninth Day of Ridván, the day on which Bahá’u’lláh’s family joined Him in the Garden of Ridván. | 28 Apr | 28 Apr |
| Twelfth Day of Ridván the day on which Bahá’u’lláh and His family left the garden to travel to Constantinople. | 1 May | 1 May |
| Declaration of the Báb the anniversary of the Báb’s announcement of His mission in 1844. | 23 May | 23 May |
| Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh marking the passing of Bahá’u’lláh in 1892 | 28 May | 28 May |
| Martyrdom of the Báb Who was executed in 1850 | 9 Jul | 9 Jul |
| Birth of the Báb | 18 Oct | 6 Nov |
| Birth of Bahá’u’lláh | 19 Oct | 7 Nov |
| 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 | 25 Nov | 25 Nov |
| Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá* marking the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1921 | 27 Nov | 27 Nov |
Note: The Bahá’í holy days are set and move according to a solar calendar commencing with the Spring Equinox. However the holy days marking the birth of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh are set and move according to a lunar calculation.
* Work not suspended; Bahá’ís are enjoined to suspend work on all but these holy days.
| Other Significant Days | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 26 ‑ 29 Feb | 25 ‑ 28 Feb |
| 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. | 1 ‑ 19 Mar | 1 ‑ 19 Mar |