(Redirected from Baha\'i calendar)
The 'Bahá'í calendar', also called the 'Badí‘ calendar', used by the
Bahá'í Faith, is a
solar calendar with regular years of 365 days, and
leap years of 366 days. Years are composed of 19 months of 19 days each, (361 days) plus an extra period of "Intercalary Days" (4 in regular and 5 in leap years). Years in the calendar begin at the
vernal equinox, and are counted with the
date notation of
BE (Bahá'í Era), with 21 March, 1844 AD being the first day of the first year.
[1] The period from 21 March, 2007 to 20 March, 2008 is the year 164 BE.
History
The Bahá'í calendar started from the original Badí‘ calendar, created by the
Báb.
[2] Bahá'u'lláh confirmed and adopted this calendar and made
Naw-Rúz or the vernal equinox the first day of the year, and also clarified the intercalary days.
2[3]
Although the vernal equinox can occur on March 20, 21 or 22,
Shoghi Effendi declared that, for the time being, the Badí‘ calendar is 'locked' to the Gregorian calendar with the new year ''always'' starting at sunset on
20 March.
[4] 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.
3 This 'locked' calendar is the one described in this article.
Years in the Bahá'í calendar are counted from Thursday,
21 March,
1844, the beginning of the Bahá'í
Era or Badí‘ Era (abbreviated ''BE'' or ''B.E.'').
1 Year 1 BE thus began at sundown
20 March 1844. Using the Bahá'í names for the weekday and month, day one of the Bahá'í Era was ''Istijlál'' (Majesty), 1 ''Bahá'' (Splendour) 1 BE. As detailed below, the names of the Bahá'í months and days reflect attributes of God.
[5]
Months
The Bahá'í calendar is composed of 19 months, each with 19 days.
[6] The
Nineteen Day Fast is held during the final month of ‘Alá’ (2 March - 20 March), and is preceded by the intercalary days, known as
Ayyám-i-Há. There are 4 Intercalary Days in a regular year, and 5 in a leap year.
6 The month of fasting is followed by
Naw-Rúz, the new year. Because the calendar is currently synchronized with the Gregorian calendar, the Bahá'í leap years happen on
common era leap years. In addition, the Intercalary Days include
28 February and
1 March, causing precise synhronization of the 19 months with the Gregorian Calendar.
Holy Days
There are eleven holy days in the Bahá'í calendar on which nine of them work is suspended.
[7] The Festival of
Ridván, a twelve day festival which commemorates the commencement of Bahá'u'lláh's prophethood, is the most holy Bahá'í festival and is referred to as the "Most Great Festival."
[8]
Weekdays
The Bahá'í week starts on Saturday, and ends on Friday.
[9] Days begin at sunset on the previous
solar day and end at sunset of the present solar day. Like Islám, Friday is also the
day of rest in the Bahá'í Faith.
[10]
| Arabic Name9 | Arabic Script | English Translation9 | Day of the Week9 |
|---|
| Jalál | جلال | Glory | Saturday |
| Jamál | جمال | Beauty | Sunday |
| Kamál | كمال | Perfection | Monday |
| Fiḍál | فضال | Grace | Tuesday |
| ‘Idál | عدال | Justice | Wednesday |
| Istijlál | استجلال | Majesty | Thursday |
| Istiqlál | استقلال | 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").
9 Each of the 19 years in a Vahid has been given a name as shown in the table below.
9 The 9th Váḥid of the 1st Kull-i-Shay’ started on
21 March1996, and the 10th Váḥid will begin in 2015.
[11] The current Bahá'í year, year 164 BE, is year Javáb of the 9th Váḥid of the 1st Kull-i-Shay’.
11 The 2nd Kull-i-Shay’ will begin in 2205.
11
The concept of a 19-year cycle has existed in some form since the 4th century BC The
Metonic cycle represents an invented measure that approximately correlates solar and lunar markings of time and which appears in several calendar systems.
;Years in a Váḥid:
| No. | Arabic Name | Arabic Script | English Translation |
|---|
| 1 | Alif | أﻟﻒ | A |
| 2 | Bá’ | باء | B |
| 3 | Ab | أب | Father |
| 4 | Dál | دﺍﻝ | D |
| 5 | Báb | باب | Gate |
| 6 | Váv | وﺍو | V |
| 7 | Abad | أبد | Eternity |
| 8 | Jád | جاد | Generosity |
| 9 | Bahá' | بهاء | Splendour |
| 10 | Ḥubb | حب | Love |
| 11 | Bahháj | بهاج | Delightful |
| 12 | Javáb | جواب | Answer |
| 13 | Aḥad | احد | Single |
| 14 | Vahháb | وﻫﺎب | Bountiful |
| 15 | Vidád | وداد | Affection |
| 16 | Badí‘ | بديء | Beginning |
| 17 | Bahí | بهي | Luminous |
| 18 | Abhá | ابهى | Most Luminous |
| 19 | Váḥid | واحد | Unity |
Miscellaneous
For several early years after
Tom Morey founded what would become Morey Watersports, the
boogie boards his company produced were stamped with the 'B.E.' year of production. This may have been the first "external" use of B.E. dates (and almost certainly the first on a commercial product).
See also
★
Calendar
★
Bahá'í Faith
★
Intercalation
★
19 (number)
Notes
1. A Day in the Bahá'í Calendar
2. On Novelty in Ayyám-i-Há and the Badí Calendar
3. Notes of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Universal House of Justice, , , Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1992, ISBN 0853989990 .
4. Directives from the Guardian, , Shoghi, Effendi, Bahá'í publishing trust, 1973,
5. The Bahá'í Calendar National Spiritual Assembly of the United States
6. Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, Esslemont, J.E., , , Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1980, ISBN 0877431604
7. The Badi Calendar National Spiritual Assembly of the United States
8. Ridvan
9. Bahá'í Faith, The: 1844-1950, , Shoghi, Effendi, Bahá'í Publishing Committee, 1950,
10. Lights of Guidance: A Bahá'í Reference File, , Shoghi, Effendi, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, New Delhi, India, 1983, ISBN 8185091463
11. The first Kull-i-Shay' of the Bahá'í Era
References
★
Principles of Bahá'í Administration, , Shoghi, Effendi, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1976, ISBN 0900125136
★
Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, Esslemont, J.E., , , Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1980, ISBN 0877431604
External links
★
The Bahá'í Calendar
★
Arithmetic of the Bahá'í Calendar, and Variants
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