Every major religion, and the ensuing civilization it spawned,
has its own special calendar which organizes and charts the activities of its
adherents during the year. The Baha'i calendar, whose origins date back to the
ministry of the Bab (1844-1853), and ratified by Baha'u'llah, is a solar
calendar divided into nineteen months of nineteen days each. It's also
known as the Badi Calendar. The Baha'i year commences on March 21st, the first
day of Spring.
On the first day of every Baha'i month, Baha'i communities gather
together in a worship service known as Feast. During this gathering of prayer,
fellowship and consultation, the spiritual and social affairs of the community
are addressed. It is more a spiritual dinner than a physical one,
although light refreshments are served at the end, the social portion of the
Feast.
Baha'i months and days of the week are named after attributes of
God. The Baha'i week begins on Saturday (Gregorian) Because the Baha'i calendar
is a solar calendar, the days begin and end at sunset. The following is a list
of the nineteen months in the Baha'i year: 1
1. In order to complete the three hundred and sixty-five day
cycle in the year (including changes associated with leap years) there are four
intercalary days from February 26th to March 1st inclusive, preceding the last
Baha'i month, which is a fasting month. Fasting is from sunrise to sunset, when
abstention takes place from all food and drink. The Intercalary Days,
called Ayyam-i-Ha, are set
aside, and not considered as part of any month.
The days of the week are:
