Bahai Year

“The number of months in a year, appointed in the Book of God, is nineteen.” ¹

“We have ordained that these, amid all nights and days, shall be the manifestations of the letter Há, and thus they have not been bounded by the limits of the year and its months.” ²

“Question: Concerning Naw-Rúz.
Answer: The Festival of Naw-Rúz falleth on the day that the sun entereth the sign of Aries,5 even should this occur no more than one minute before sunset.” ³

“We have enjoined upon you fasting during a brief period”
… The nineteen-day period of fasting coincides with the Bahá’í month of ‘Alá’, usually 2–20 March, immediately after the termination of the Intercalary Days (see notes and ), and is followed by the feast of Naw-Rúz.” ⁴

“and at its close have designated for you Naw-Rúz as a feast”
The Báb introduced a new calendar, known now as the Badí‘ or Bahá’í calendar (see notes 27 and 147). According to this calendar, a day is the period from sunset to sunset. In the Bayán, the Báb ordained the month of ‘Alá’ to be the month of fasting, decreed that the day of Naw-Rúz should mark the termination of that period, and designated Naw-Rúz as the Day of God. Bahá’u’lláh confirms the Badí‘ calendar wherein Naw-Rúz is designated as a feast.

Naw-Rúz is the first day of the new year. It coincides with the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, which usually occurs on 21 March. Bahá’u’lláh explains that this feast day is to be celebrated on whatever day the sun passes into the constellation of Aries (i.e. the vernal equinox), even should this occur one minute before sunset (Q&A 35). Hence Naw-Rúz could fall on 20, 21, or 22 March, depending on the time of the equinox.

Bahá’u’lláh has left the details of many laws to be filled in by the Universal House of Justice. Among these are a number of matters affecting the Bahá’í calendar. The Guardian has stated that the implementation, worldwide, of the law concerning the timing of Naw-Rúz will require the choice of a particular spot on earth which will serve as the standard for the fixing of the time of the spring equinox. He also indicated that the choice of this spot has been left to the decision of the Universal House of Justice.” ⁵

“Let the days in excess of the months be placed before the month of fasting”
The Badí‘ calendar is based on the solar year of 365 days, 5 hours, and 50 odd minutes. The year consists of 19 months of 19 days each (i.e. 361 days), with the addition of four extra days (five in a leap year). The Báb did not specifically define the place for the intercalary days in the new calendar. The Kitáb-i-Aqdas resolves this question by assigning the “excess” days a fixed position in the calendar immediately preceding the month of ‘Alá’, the period of fasting. For further details see the section on the Bahá’í calendar in The Bahá’í World, volume XVIII.” ⁶

“the first day of the month of Bahá” In the Bahá’í calendar the first month of the year and the first day of each month are given the name “Bahá.” The day of Bahá of the month of Bahá is thus the Bahá’í New Year, Naw-Rúz, which was ordained by the Báb as a festival and is here confirmed by Bahá’u’lláh (see notes and ).

In addition to the seven Holy Days ordained in these passages of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Báb was also commemorated as a Holy Day in the lifetime of Bahá’u’lláh and, as a corollary to this, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá added the observance of the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, making nine Holy Days in all. Two other anniversaries which are observed, but on which work is not suspended, are the Day of the Covenant and the anniversary of the Passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. See the section on the Bahá’í calendar in The Bahá’í World, volume XVIII.” ⁷

“The number of months in a year, appointed in the Book of God, is nineteen.”
The Bahá’í year, in accordance with the Badí‘ calendar, consists of nineteen months of nineteen days each, with the addition of certain intercalary days (four in an ordinary year and five in a leap year) between the eighteenth and nineteenth months in order to adjust the calendar to the solar year. The Báb named the months after certain attributes of God. The Bahá’í New Year, Naw-Rúz, is astronomically fixed, coinciding with the March equinox (see note ). For further details, including the names of the days of the week and the months, see the section on the Bahá’í calendar in The Bahá’í World, volume XVIII.” ⁸

“the first hath been adorned with this Name which overshadoweth the whole of creation”
In the Persian Bayán, the Báb bestowed the name “Bahá” on the first month of the year.” ⁹

“The adoption of a new calendar in each dispensation is a symbol of the power of Divine Revelation to reshape human perception of material, social, and spiritual reality. Through it, sacred moments are distinguished, humanity’s place in time and space reimagined, and the rhythm of life recast.” ¹⁰

The Baha’i Calendar:
https://www.bahai.org/action/devotional-life/calendar

Babi Dispensation

The Báb introduced a new calendar, known now as the Badí‘ or Bahá’í calendar (19 months, each moth 19 days). ¹¹

Islamic Dispensation

“It is He who made the sun a shining radiance and the moon a light, determining phases for it so that you might know the number of years and how to calculate time. God did not create all these without a true purpose; He explains His signs to those who understand.” ¹²

“Verily the number of months with Allah is twelve months in the Book of Allah, (since) the day He created the heavens and the earth, four of them are sacred. That is the established religion...” ¹³

“The postponement of sacred months is a grossly impious practice, in which the unbelievers are misguided. They allow it one year and forbid it in the next, so that they may make up for the months which Allah has sanctified, thus making lawful what Allah has forbidden. Their foul acts seem fair to them: Allah does not guide the unbelievers.” ¹⁴

Christian Dispensation

The Four Gospels do not describe a specific calendar. Over time, Christians adopted a Roman Solar calendar as reformed by Julius Caesar that evolved with time to the currently used Gregorian calendar. It supports administrative and religious events.

Jewish Dispensation

The Torah does not describe or explain a specific calendar, solar, lunar or luni-solar. Rather it prescribes certain observances and festivals with specific dates. Over time, multiple types of calendars were developed and used and currently the most used is a Luni-Solar Calander. It supports administrative and religious events.