Calendar

From Bahaikipedia

The Bahá’í calendar, technically called the Badi calendar, is a solar calendar of 365 days, or 366 days in leap years. It consists of 19 months having 19 days each. The remaining four days (or five in leap years) make up an intercalary period called Ayyám-i-Há which is placed between the 18th and 19th months. A seven-day week is used. The months are named after attributes of God, as are the days of the week. Although not much referenced at the present time, cycles of 19 years and 361 years are also identified within the Badi calendar.

As in the Jewish and Islamic calendars, the Bahá’í day begins at sunset. The year begins on the vernal equinox (currently this is fixed as March 21). Eleven holy days are commemorated in the course of the year, nine of which are designated as days on which work should be suspended. With the exception of Naw-Rúz, the first day of the year, all of these holy days are connected with the lives of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

Contents 1 History 2 Structure 3 Calendar 4 Holy Days 5 External Links 6 References

[edit] History

The Badi calendar was created during the ministry of the Báb and later confirmed by Bahá’u’lláh, who specified a few details that the Báb had left open. In particular, the timing of the intercalary days (Ayyám-i-Há) had not been specified. Bahá’u’lláh placed this celebration between the 18th and 19th months.

[edit] Structure

The Badi calendar consists of 19 months of 19 days, plus four intercalary days (five in leap years). Because it is a solar calendar like the Gregorian calendar and observes the same leap years, a given day in the Badi calendar falls on the same day of the Gregorian calendar every year. The months of the Badi calendar are as follows:

[edit] Calendar

Arabic Name	Arabic Script	English Translation	Gregorian Dates
Bahá’	بهاء	Splendour	21 March - 8 April
Jalál	جلال	Glory	9 April - 27 April
Jamál	جمال	Beauty	28 April - 16 May
‘Aẓamat	عظمة	Grandeur	17 May - 4 June
Núr	نور	Light	5 June - 23 June
Raḥmat	رحمة	Mercy	24 June - 12 July
Kalimát	كلمات	Words	13 July - 31 July
Kamál	كمال	Perfection	1 August - 19 August
Asmá’	اسماء	Names	20 August - 7 September
‘Izzat	عزة	Might	8 September - 26 September
Mashíyyat	مشية	Will	27 September - 15 October
‘Ilm	علم	Knowledge	16 October - 3 November
Qudrat	قدرة	Power	4 November - 22 November
Qawl	قول	Speech	23 November - 11 December
Masá’il	مسائل	Questions	12 December - 30 December
Sharaf	شرف	Honour	31 December - 18 January
Sulṭán	سلطان	Sovereignty	19 January - 6 February
Mulk	ملك	Dominion	7 February - 25 February
Ayyám-i-Há’	ايام الهاء	Intercalary Days	26 February - 1 March
‘Alá’	علاء	Loftiness	2 March - 20 March (Month of fasting)

[edit] Holy Days

Certain days in the Baha'i calendar are set aside to be observed as Holy days; work may or may not be suspended as well. For the most part, these Holy days are celebrations and commemorations of important events in the lives of the central figures of the Baha'i Faith, such as the festival of Riḍván, which commemorates Bahá’u’lláh's Declaration of His Mission to certain of His most trusted disciples. Certain other days, such as Naw-Rúz, have a general spiritual character but do not commemorate a specific event in history.

Name	Gregorian Dates	Work Suspended
Naw-Rúz (Bahá’í New Year)	March 21	Yes
First day of Riḍván	April 21	Yes
Ninth day of Riḍván	April 29	Yes
Twelfth day of Riḍván	May 2	Yes
Declaration of the Báb	May 23	Yes
Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh	May 29	Yes
Martyrdom of the Báb	July 9	Yes
Birth of the Báb	October 20	Yes
Birth of Bahá’u’lláh	November 12	Yes
Day of the Covenant	November 26	No
Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá	November 28	No

[edit] External Links

Badi Calendar 156 B.E

[edit] References