Baha'i Holy Days

Date Title Details 
March 21 Naw-Rúz (Bahá'í New Year) First day of the new year in the Bahá'í calendar
April 21 First Day of Ridván Pronounced "riz-wan", it means paradise in Arabic. It is the name given to the Najíbíyyih Garden in Bagdad, the Garden of Na'Mayn near 'Akká (Akko), Israel (Palestine at that time), and the 12-day festival commemorating Bahá'u'lláh's Declaration of His mission to His companions in 1863.   For 12 days, April 21 to May 2, Bahá'is celebrate the same period in 1863 when Bahá'u'lláh, resided in a garden in Baghdad immediately before His exile to Constaninople.
April 29 Ninth Day of Ridván Bahá'u'lláh declares His mission on this day.
May 2 Twelfth Day of Ridván Bahá'u'lláh departs for Constantinople on this day.
May 23 Declaration of the Báb Forerunner or Herald of the Bahá'í Faith. Prophet-Founder of the Bábí Faith. On 23 May, 1844, He declared Himself to be the Báb, or 'Gate of God' to the Shaykhí disciple Mullá Husayn-i-Bushrú'í, the first of 18 individuals who sought and discovered the Báb and who are known as the Letters of the Living.
May 29 Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh Occurred in the early hours of the morning on 29 May, 1892 at Bahjí. This solemn anniversary is observed at 3:00 AM.
July 9 Martyrdom of the Báb Commemorates the day the Báb was martyred by a 750-man firing squad in the barracks square of Tabríz, Persia (Iran), in 1850. This anniversary is observed at noon.
October 20 Birth of the Báb Born Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad in Shíráz, Persia (Iran) on 20 October, 1819.
November 12 Birth of Bahá'u'lláh Prophet-Founder of the Bahá'í Faith and the Manifestation of God for this Day. Born Mírza Husayn-'Ali on 12 November, 1817, in Núr in Mázindarán, Persia (Iran).
November 26 Day of the Covenant Festival observed on 26 November to commemorate Bahá'u'lláh's appointment of 'Abdu'l-Bahá as the Centre of His Covenant. 'Abdu'l-Bahá instructed that His own birthday not be celebrated because it falls on the Declaration of the Báb. At the believers' request, He gave them the Day of the Covenant to observe in His honour. Suspension of work is not obligatory on this Holy Day.
November 28 Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Occurred in the early hours of the morning on 28 November, 1921 in Haifa, Israel (Palestine at that time). This anniversary is observed at 1:00 AM. His tomb is on Mount Carmel, in a vault within the Shrine of the Báb. Suspension of work is not obligatory on this Holy Day.