Faith communities: Baha'i calendar and the vernal equinox

Paul Slaughter | For The New Mexican

2/26/2010 - 2/27/10

The Baha'is of Santa Fe and surrounding Baha'i communities will soon begin their annual fasting period on March 2. Here is some information about their Baha'i calendar and days of celebration:

The Baha'i Calendar

The Baha'i year consists of 19 months of 19 days each (361 days), with the addition of "Intercalary Days" (four in ordinary and five in leap years) between the 18th and 19th months to adjust the calendar to the solar year.

The months are named after the attributes of God such as Glory, Grandeur, Perfection, Mercy and Knowledge.

The Baha'i New Year coincides with the Vernal Equinox which occurs on March 20 at 11:32 a.m., according to the U.S. Navy Observatory.

The Baha'i Era commenced with the year of the Báb's declaration (A.D. 1844) the Forerunner to Baha'u'llah, the founder and prophet of the Baha'i Faith.

Each Baha'i community holds the "Nineteen Day Feast" on the first day of each Baha'i month. The feast has spiritual, administrative and social functions and is the primary locus of fellowship and community decision-making in each Baha'i locality. Because the Baha'i day lasts from sunset to sunset, the "Nineteen Day Feast" is generally held in the evening on the day before the first day of the Baha'i month according to the Gregorian calendar.

Ayyam-i-ha or Intercalary days

Ayyam-i-ha, or "Days of Ha," is from Feb. 26 through March 1 and are devoted to spiritual preparation for the fast, celebrating, hospitality, charity and gift giving. They are celebrated the four days (five in leap year) before the last month of the Baha'i year.

Baha'i Month of Fasting

The last month in the Baha'i calendar, March 2-20, is dedicated to the Baha'i Fast. During this time, Baha'is between 15 and 70 years of age do not eat or drink for 19 days from sunrise to sunset and set aside time for prayer and meditation. Exemptions from the fast occur for illness, pregnancy, nursing mothers, extended travel and arduous physical labor.

Naw-Ruz

The Baha'i New Year's Day, March 21, coincides with the spring equinox. Naw-Ruz is an ancient Persian festival celebrating the "new day" and for Baha'is it marks the end of the annual 19-day fast and is one of the nine holy days of the year when work is suspended.

History of the Baha'i Faith

The Baha'i Faith is an independent monotheistic religion with its own sacred scriptures, its own laws, calendar, and holy days. It has no clergy and its affairs are administered by freely elected governing councils that operate at the local, national, and international levels.

To learn more about the Baha'i Faith and its history, from its birth in mid-19th-century Persia (now Iran) to its emergence as a world religion with more than 5 million adherents from virtually every nation and ethnic group on earth, visit the Web site www.bahai.us, or call 505-982-3788 or 800-22 UNITE or 800-228-6483.

Paul Slaughter is a local member of the Baha'i Faith.