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The establishment of a meridian and a time for declaring the vernal equinox is a logical prerequisite for the Baha'i calendar as it is presently conceived. Discussion for calendar reform, however, presently focuses on declaring either Acre (Akka) or Teheran as the meridian. If the Baha'i calendar is intended to be an international calendar, then such a declaration would involve either redefining the entire international time zone system, along with the concepts of GMT, and hence UTC, or establishing a competing parallel system. |
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9.9.2. 9.9.4
Code on CD-ROM |
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See SCDTL text on the CD for the discussion of the code. |
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Certain days of observance are defined for the Baha'i calendar. This entire subject, however, is somewhat complicated by the fact that the rules for the days of observance derive from three other calendars the Gregorian, the Islamic, and the traditional Persian. |
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The Baha'i calendar observes a number of days, which are divided largely into feast and fast days. The Baha'i concept of ''feast" is an observance of a joyful occasion, when Baha'i communities gather to pray, commune, and conduct community business. The concept of "fast", however, differs specifically from the Judaeo-Christian concept of a commemoration of grief. The Baha'i period of fast is, rather, considered to be a time of spiritual development and a particular opportunity to shift focus from matters of the world to matters of the spirit. This perspective is more closely related to the Muslim concept of sawm (fasting) than to the usual Western concept. |
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The Baha'i calendar usually breaks days of observance into three groups Holy Days, the Ayyam-i-Ha, and Feast Days. Baha'i Holy Days are: |
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The Feast of Naw Ruz (New Year) This date is intended to occur on the date of the vernal equinox. It is celebrated on the fixed date 21 March in the West, but on the date of the actual occurrence of the equinox in Iran. |
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The Feast of Ridvan (Declaration of Baha'Ullah) This date is celebrated on the 12 dates of 21 April through 2 May in the Gregorian calendar in commemoration of the declaration of Baha'Ullah in A.D. 1863. Work is suspended on the first, ninth, and 12th days of Ridvan (21 April, 29 April, and 2 May). |
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