Baháʼí calendar facts for kids

The Baháʼí calendar is a special way of keeping track of time used by people who follow the Baháʼí Faith. It's a solar calendar, which means it's based on the sun's movement. This calendar has nineteen months, and each month has nineteen days. There are also four or five extra days called Ayyám-i-Há. The new year, called Naw-Rúz, starts when spring begins in the Northern Hemisphere.

Each month and each day of the week is named after a good quality, like "Perfection" or "Mercy." The Baháʼí calendar started in 1844 CE. This was the year when the Báb began teaching his new ideas. Years on this calendar are marked with "BE," which stands for Baháʼí Era. For example, the year 2025 CE is 182 BE. 182 BE started on 20 March 2025.

History of the Baháʼí Calendar

The Baháʼí calendar began with the original Badíʿ calendar. This calendar was created by the Báb in the 1840s. He wrote about it in his books, the Kitábu'l-Asmáʼ and the Persian Bayán.

Early Calendar Ideas

An early version of the calendar was used during the Báb's time. It had nineteen months, each with nineteen days. This made 361 days in total. Extra days were added to make it a solar calendar. The first day of the year was Nowruz. The extra days were placed differently than they are now. This calendar has many special meanings and links to the Báb's predictions.

Baháʼu'lláh's Changes

Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, accepted and used this calendar. He was the one the Báb had predicted would come. Around 1870, Baháʼu'lláh asked Nabíl-i-Aʻzam to write about the Badíʿ calendar.

In his book, the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (written in 1873), Baháʼu'lláh made Naw-Rúz 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. Baháʼu'lláh said Naw-Rúz should be the day when the sun moves into the constellation Aries. Baháʼís understand this to mean the spring equinox.

When the Calendar Was Used

The Baháʼí calendar was first used in Western countries in 1907. Some parts of the calendar's rules were left for the Universal House of Justice to decide later. This was so the calendar could be used the same way all over the world.

Worldwide Use from 2015

On July 10, 2014, the Universal House of Justice announced new rules. These rules made it possible for the Badíʿ calendar to be used the same way everywhere. This started at sunset on March 20, 2015.

Before this, the Baháʼí calendar was linked to the Gregorian calendar. The year started at sunset on March 20, no matter when the spring equinox actually happened. The extra day of a leap year happened at the same time in both calendars. The Ayyám-i-Há days were always from February 26 to March 1. This meant there were four extra days in a normal year and five in a Gregorian leap year.

The Universal House of Justice chose Tehran, where Baháʼu'lláh was born, as the place to figure out the exact time of the spring equinox. This is done using special astronomy tables. These changes made the Badíʿ calendar independent from the Gregorian calendar. They started at the beginning of year 172 BE.

Why the Baháʼí Calendar Is Special

The name Badíʿ means "wondrous" or "unique." This shows that the Baháʼí calendar is truly special in human history. A sociologist named Eviatar Zerubavel noted that the nineteen-day cycle creates a special rhythm. This rhythm helps people feel more connected as a group.

He also said that the nineteen-day cycle is more like a "week" than a "month." This is because it has no connection to the lunar cycle. Baháʼís have found the closest way to link the week and the year. This is something no one else has done throughout history.

Years in the Baháʼí Calendar

Years in the Baháʼí calendar are counted from Thursday, March 21, 1844. This is the start of the Baháʼí Era, or Badíʿ Era. It is often shortened to BE. So, Year 1 BE began at sundown on March 20, 1844.

The length of each year is set by the number of days between the start and end of the year. The number of extra days is changed as needed. The year ends the day before the next spring equinox.

The Spring Equinox and New Year

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

The Gregorian calendar doesn't always line up with the equinox. So, the Gregorian date for Naw-Rúz can shift by a day or two each year.

Months of the Baháʼí Calendar

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

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

The table below shows the months. The Gregorian date is for when Naw-Rúz is on March 21. The Baháʼí month actually starts at sunset the day before the date listed.

Ayyám-i-Há: The Intercalary Days

Adding these extra days, called intercalation, was a big change from Islam. In the Islamic calendar, adding extra days was not allowed.

The number of Ayyám-i-Há days is decided beforehand. This makes sure the year ends the day before the next spring equinox. This means there will be 4 or 5 extra days. These days are placed between the 18th and 19th months. They usually fall around the end of February in the Gregorian calendar. The number of days added is not related to when the Gregorian leap year happens.

Important Practices in the Baháʼí Faith

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

The monthly Nineteen Day Feast is celebrated on the first day of each month. It can start any time from sunset on the evening before the day, until sunset on the day itself.

Days in a Month

The nineteen days in each month have the same names as the months of the year. For example, the 9th day of every month is called Asmá, which means "Names."

Weekdays

The Baháʼí week starts on Saturday and ends on Friday. Like in Judaism and Islam, days begin at sunset and end at sunset the next day. Baháʼí writings say that Friday should be a day of rest. However, this practice is not followed in all countries right now. For example, in the UK, Baháʼís do not currently observe Friday as a day of rest.

Cycles in the Baháʼí Calendar

The Baháʼí calendar also has larger cycles. There is a nineteen-year cycle called Váḥid. There is also a 361-year supercycle (19 times 19) called Kull-i-S͟hayʼ. This name means "All Things." The Báb often used the term Kull-i-S͟hayʼ. The idea of the numbers 19 and 361 might have been linked to Ibn Arabi (1165–1240) in Sufism.

Each of the nineteen years in a Váḥid has a special name. The tenth Váḥid of the first Kull-i-S͟hayʼ started on March 21, 2015. The eleventh Váḥid will begin in 2034.

The current Baháʼí year, 182 BE (which runs from March 20, 2025, to March 20, 2026), is the year Bahháj. It is part of the tenth Váḥid of the first Kull-i-S͟hayʼ. The second Kull-i-S͟hayʼ will begin in 2205.

The idea of a nineteen-year cycle has been around since the fourth century BCE. The Metonic cycle is an old way to link solar and lunar time. It appears in several calendar systems.

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