Guide 05 Bahá'í literature independent reference
Bahá'í holy days: nine days of suspended work
Bahá'ís observe nine holy days on which work and school are suspended, plus two further days that are commemorated. This page lists them in plain terms.
Nine days of suspended work
The Kitáb-i-Aqdas establishes holy days on which believers suspend work, and nine of them are counted today: Naw-Rúz, three days of Ridván, the Declaration of the Báb, the Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, the Martyrdom of the Báb, and the Birth of the Báb and the Birth of Bahá'u'lláh. Two other days, the Day of the Covenant and the Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, are observed without a suspension of work. Where the law of a country permits, Bahá'ís are asked to be free from work and school on the nine days.
Naw-Rúz
Naw-Rúz means New Day and is the Bahá'í New Year. It falls on the March equinox, on 20 or 21 March, and ends the month of fasting that comes before it. The festival has Persian roots, and Bahá'ís keep it with prayers, gatherings and celebration.
The twelve days of Ridván
Ridván is the festival of the twelve days in April and May that mark Bahá'u'lláh's stay in a garden near Baghdad in 1863, when he first declared his mission. Three of its days are holy days with work suspended: the first, the ninth and the twelfth. Bahá'í communities also hold their annual elections during this season.
The Báb and Bahá'u'lláh
Three days relate to the Báb: the Declaration of the Báb in late May, recalling 1844, the Martyrdom of the Báb in early July, recalling his execution in 1850, and his birth. The Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, in late May, marks his death in 1892 near 'Akká. His birth is also a holy day.
The Twin Holy Days
The birthdays of the Báb (born 1819) and Bahá'u'lláh (born 1817) are celebrated on two consecutive days in autumn, usually in October and November. They are called the Twin Holy Days. Since 2015 the exact days follow the lunar cycle, being the first and second days after the eighth new moon following Naw-Rúz, which means that the Gregorian date changes from year to year.
Other commemorations
The Day of the Covenant in late November honours 'Abdu'l-Bahá's role as the Centre of the Covenant. The Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, a couple of days later, marks his death in Haifa in 1921. For the count of the months and the other calendar customs, see the calendar guide.