Bahá'í calendar
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The Bahá'í calendar, common to the Bahá'í Faith, is a solar calendar with regular years 365 days long and leap years 366 days long as explained within the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Years are composed of 19 months of 19 days each, plus an extra period of "Intercalary Days" (4 in regular and 5 in leap years) between the 18th and 19th months (26 February to 1 March). Years in the Bahá'í calendar begin at the vernal equinox (usually March 21 in the Gregorian calendar). Days begin at sunset on the previous solar day and end at sunset of the present solar day.
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History
The Bahá'í calendar started from the original Badí‘ calendar, created by the Báb. Bahá'u'lláh confirmed and adopted this calendar and made Naw-Rúz or the vernal equinox (which can be on the 20th, 21st, or 22nd of March) the first day of the year, and also clarified the interacalary days.
For the time being, Shoghi Effendi, the first Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, declared that the Badí‘ calendar is 'locked' to the Gregorian calendar with the new year always starting at sunset on 20 March. Without this, the calendar could vary by a day or two when compared to the Gregorian calendar. The implementation of the variable calendar with respect to the beginning of Naw-Rúz will require the Universal House of Justice selecting a single location for the fixing of the date of the equinox [1]. This 'locked' calendar is the one described in this article.
Years in the Bahá'í calendar are counted from 21 March, 1844, the beginning of the Bahá'í Era or Badí‘ Era (abbreviated BE). Thus, year 1 BE was from 21 March 1844 to 20 March 1845.
Bahá'í Months
| Arabic Name | English Translation | Gregorian Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Bahá | Splendour | 21 March-April 8 |
| Jalál | Glory | 9 April-27 April |
| Jamál | Beauty | 28 April- 16 May |
| ‘Aẓamat | Grandeur | 17 May- 4 June |
| Núr | Light | 5 June- 23 June |
| Raḥmat | Mercy | 24 June- 12 July |
| Kalimát | Words | 13 July- 31 July |
| Kamál | Perfection | 1 August- 19 August |
| Asmá’ | Names | 20 August- 7 September |
| ‘Izzat | Might | 8 September- 26 September |
| Mashíyyat | Will | 27 September- 15 October |
| ‘Ilm | Knowledge | 16 October- 3 November |
| Qudrat | Power | 4 November- 22 November |
| Qawl | Speech | 23 November- 11 December |
| Masá’il | Questions | 12 December- 30 December |
| Sharaf | Honour | 31 December- 18 January |
| Sulṭán | Sovereignty | 19 January- 6 February |
| Mulk | Dominion | 7 February- 25 February |
| Ayyám-i-Há' | Intercalary Days | 26 February- 1 March |
| ‘Alá’ | Loftiness | 2 March- 20 March (month of fasting) |
Bahá'í Holy Days
| 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 |
Bahá'í Week
| Arabic Name | English Translation | Day of the Week |
|---|---|---|
| Jalál | Glory | Saturday |
| Jamál | Beauty | Sunday |
| Kamál | Perfection | Monday |
| Fiḍál | Grace | Tuesday |
| ‘Idál | Justice | Wednesday |
| Istijlál | Majesty | Thursday |
| Istiqlál | Independence | Friday |
Váḥid and Kull-i-Shay’
Also existing in the Bahá'í calendar system is a 19-year cycle called Váḥid and a 361-year (19x19) supercycle called Kull-i-Shay’ (literally, "All Things"). The 9th Váḥid of the 1st Kull-i-Shay’ started in 1996. The 2nd Kull-i-Shay’ will begin on 21 March 2205. (Years are counted from 1844.)
Years in a Váḥid:
| No. | Arabic Name | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alif | A |
| 2 | Bá’ | B |
| 3 | Ab | Father |
| 4 | Dál | D |
| 5 | Báb | Gate |
| 6 | Váv | V |
| 7 | Abad | Eternity |
| 8 | Jád | Generosity |
| 9 | Bahá' | Splendour |
| 10 | Ḥubb | Love |
| 11 | Bahháj | Delightful |
| 12 | Javáb | Answer |
| 13 | Aḥad | Single |
| 14 | Vahháb | Bountiful |
| 15 | Vidád | Affection |
| 16 | Badí‘ | Beginning |
| 17 | Bahí | Luminous |
| 18 | Abhá | Most Luminous |
| 19 | Váḥid | Unity |
See also
- Calendar
- Bahá'í Faith
- Intercalation
- Translation of each month to local languages.
- 19 (number)
