Tag: holy days

How did you spend Naw-Ruz? Send us your photos!

Published on by TVBahaiLeave a comment

Yesterday (Wednesday 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 – is 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 places where Bahá’ís reside around the world. Many Bahá’ís mark the occasion with family and friends on Naw-Ruz – often these get-togethers are celebrations which will include readings of prayers from the Bahá’í scriptures, as well as music, dance and food.

How did you celebrate Naw-Ruz? Let us know who you are, whereabouts in the world you are and what you did, using the comment button below!  You can even send your Naw-Ruz photographs to susan@1bahai.org

194 years since Bahá’u’lláh was born

Published on by TVBahaiLeave a comment

Saturday, 12 November was special – when Bahá’ís around the world observed the anniversary of the birth of  Bahá’u’lláh, which means the ‘Glory of God’.

Bahá’u’lláh is the founder of the Bahá’í Faith. He lived from 1817 to 1892 and is considered by Bahá’ís to be the most recent divine Messenger, or Manifestation of God, in a line of great religious figures that includes Abraham, Buddha, Jesus, Krishna, Moses, Muhammad, Zoroaster, the Báb, and others.

Born in Tehran in present-day Iran, Bahá’u’lláh passed away near Acre in what is now Israel. His writings, the equivalent of about a hundred volumes, form the basis of the Bahá’í teachings. 12 November is one of the nine holy days of the year when work is suspended.