Descriptions of Baha'i Holidays and Observances

Ascension of the Abdu'l/Baha (Baha'i)
Baha'is commemorate the passing of Abdu'l/Baha, son of the Prophet-Founder of the Baha'i faith, who died in Haifa in 1921.

Birth of the Bab (Baha'i)
Baha'is commemorate the birth of the Bab (which means the "Gate"), the Prophet-Herald of the Baha'i faith. The Bab was born in 1819.

Birth of the Bah'u'llah (Baha'i)
Baha'is commemorate the birth of Baha'u'llah, the Prophet-Founder of the Baha'i faith. Baha'u'llah was born in 1817.

Day of the Covenant (Baha'i)
This holiday recognizes the day that Baha'u'llah's son, Abdu'l/Baha, became the Center of the Covenant.

Declaration of the Bab (Baha'i)
May 23, 1844, marks the beginning of the Baha'i faith in Shiraz, Persia (Iran). The Bab proclaimed on that date that he was not only the founder of an independent religion but also the herald of a new and greater prophet or messenger of God who would usher in an age of peace for all mankind.

Feast of Ridvan (Baha'i)
The word "ridvan" means "paradise." For 12 days, April 21 to May 2, Baha'is celebrate the period in 1863 when Baha'u'llah, the Prophet-Founder of the Baha'i faith, resided in Baghdad in a garden that he called "the Garden of Ridvan." During this period, Baha'u'llah proclaimed his mission as God's messenger for this age.

Martyrdom of the Bab (Baha'i)
On July 9, Baha'is commemorate the execution of the Bab, Prophet-Herald of the Baha'i faith, on that date in 1850 in Tabriz, Persia (Iran).

Naw Ruz (Baha'i, Islamic)
The Iranian New Year is a sacred day to the Baha'i people, celebrated at the vernal equinox and marked by the suspension of labor. Celebrations mark the day as the anniversary of God's first covenant with mankind, the first rising of the sun after the creation, Mohammed's appointment of Ali as his successor and the last day of the Biblical floods. In Iran, Sunni and Shi'ite Moslems, as well as Baha'is, consider Naw Ruz a sacred day.