Yesterday (Monday, 21 March) saw Bahá’ís throughout the Thames Valley mark Naw-Ruz, the Bahá’í New Year’s Day. The festival is held on the spring equinox (March 21) and symbolises the new life of spring.
It also marks the end of the Bahá’í Faith’s annual 19-day fast for adults. The 19-day fast – between sunrise and sunset – was essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation. The Naw-Ruz is one of the nine holy days of the year when work is suspended.
- Observing Naw-Ruz takes different multi-cultural forms in the 120,000 localities where Bahá’ís reside around the world. Although some Bahá’ís marked the occasion with family and friends on Naw-Ruz itself, many Thames Valley Bahá’ís will also be getting together on Saturday 26th March for a celebration which will include readings of prayers from the Bahá’í scriptures, as well as music, dance and food.
