Baháʼí calendar facts for kids

The Badíʻ calendar is a special solar calendar used by people who follow the Baháʼí Faith. It has nineteen months, and each month has nineteen days. There are also four or five extra days, called Ayyám-i-Há, added each year. The new year, called Naw-Rúz, begins when spring starts in the Northern Hemisphere, around March 20 or 21.

Each month and each day of the week in the Badíʻ calendar is named after a good quality, like "Perfection" or "Mercy." The calendar started in 1844, which is when the Báb, an important figure in the Baháʼí Faith, began teaching. Years in this calendar are marked with "BE," which stands for Baháʼí Era.

History of the Calendar

The Badíʻ calendar was first created by the Báb in the 1840s. He designed it with nineteen months, each having nineteen days. This made 361 days in total, and then extra days were added to match the solar year. The Báb's calendar had many special meanings.

Later, Baháʼu'lláh, who founded the Baháʼí Faith, confirmed and adopted this calendar. Around 1870, he asked someone named Nabíl-i-Aʻzam to write about it. In his book, the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (written in 1873), Baháʼu'lláh said that Naw-Rúz would be the first day of the year. He also made it clear that the extra days, called Ayyám-i-Há, should come right before the last month of the year. Baháʼu'lláh decided that Naw-Rúz would be the day when the sun crosses into the constellation Aries, which means it starts on the spring equinox.

The Baháʼí calendar was first used in Western countries in 1907.

Over time, the Universal House of Justice, which guides the Baháʼí Faith, decided how to make sure the calendar was used the same way all around the world. On July 10, 2014, they announced new rules. These rules started on March 20, 2015. Before this, the Baháʼí calendar often lined up with the Gregorian calendar. Now, the start of the Baháʼí year is decided by the exact moment of the spring equinox in Tehran, Iran, which is where Baháʼu'lláh was born. These changes made the Badíʻ calendar independent from the Gregorian calendar.

Why the Calendar is Special

The name Badíʻ means "wondrous" or "unique," and this calendar truly is special. It has a nineteen-day cycle for its months, which helps Baháʼís feel connected and united. This unique cycle also creates a very balanced relationship between the "week" (the nineteen-day period) and the year, which is quite rare in history.

Years in the Calendar

Years in the Baháʼí calendar are counted starting from Thursday, March 21, 1844. This is known as the Baháʼí Era, or BE. So, Year 1 BE began at sunset on March 20, 1844.

The length of each year is set by the number of days between one spring equinox and the next. The number of extra days (Ayyám-i-Há) is adjusted to make sure the year ends just before the next spring equinox.

The Spring Equinox

The first day of each Baháʼí year, Naw-Rúz, is the day (from sunset to sunset) in Tehran that includes the exact moment of the spring equinox. This time is figured out in advance using astronomy.

Because the Gregorian calendar doesn't always line up perfectly with the equinox, the Gregorian date for Naw-Rúz can shift by a day or two each year. Here's a table showing this:

Months

The Baháʼí calendar has nineteen months, and each month has nineteen days. The special extra days, called Ayyám-i-Há, come between the eighteenth and nineteenth months.

The names of the months were chosen by the Báb from an old prayer. These names are seen as qualities of God.

Here are the months, their usual dates, and their meanings:

Ayyám-i-Há

The Ayyám-i-Há are special extra days that are added to the calendar. There are usually 4 or 5 of these days. They are placed between the 18th and 19th months, usually around the end of February in the Gregorian calendar. The number of these days changes to make sure the Baháʼí year ends exactly before the next spring equinox.

Important Practices

The yearly Nineteen Day Fast happens during the last month, ʻAláʼ. After the fast, Naw-Rúz, the new year, begins.

Baháʼís also celebrate a monthly gathering called the Nineteen Day Feast. This feast is held on the first day of each Baháʼí month.

Days in a Month

The nineteen days within each month have the same names as the nineteen months of the year. For example, the 9th day of any month is called "Asmá," just like the 9th month.

Weekdays

The Baháʼí week starts on Saturday and ends on Friday. Like in some other religions, days begin at sunset and end at sunset the next day. Baháʼí writings suggest that Friday should be a day of rest. However, this practice is not always followed in every country.

Cycles of Years

The Baháʼí calendar also has larger cycles. A nineteen-year cycle is called a Váḥid. There's also a much larger cycle of 361 years (which is 19 times 19) called a Kull-i-S͟hayʼ. The Báb often used the term Kull-i-S͟hayʼ, which means "All Things."

Each of the nineteen years in a Váḥid has its own name. For example, the current Baháʼí year, 180 BE (from March 21, 2023, to March 19, 2024), is called "Bahá." The tenth Váḥid of the first Kull-i-S͟hayʼ started on March 21, 2015. The second Kull-i-S͟hayʼ will begin in the year 2205.

Here are the names for each year in a Váḥid:

Years in a Váḥid

See also

In Spanish: Calendario bahaí para niños

• List of observances set by the Baháʼí calendar
• Baháʼí Holy Days
• Baháʼí Faith
• Calendar
• Intercalation (timekeeping)
• 19 (number)
• Zoroastrian calendar