Bahá'í calendar facts for kids

The Bahá'í calendar is a special way to measure time used by the Bahá'í Faith. It's also called the Badí‘ calendar, which means "wondrous" or "unique." This calendar is a solar calendar, meaning it follows the sun's journey.

The calendar was first created by a person called the Báb. Later, it was made even better by Bahá'u'lláh and the Universal House of Justice.

How the Bahá'í Calendar Works

The Bahá'í year always starts on a day called "Naw-Rúz." This day is the equinox in spring, usually in March. It's when day and night are about the same length.

Months and Days

• Each Bahá'í year has 19 months.
• Each month has 19 days.
• This adds up to 361 days (19 months x 19 days).

Extra Days

To make sure the calendar matches the sun's year, there are 4 or 5 extra days added each year. These extra days are called the "Ayyám-i-Há." They are placed between the last two months of the year. This helps the next year start exactly on the spring equinox again.

When a Day Starts

In the Bahá'í calendar, each new day begins at sunset. Experts who study the stars and planets figure out the exact time of sunset and the spring equinox.

Names of Months and Days

The months and the days within each month have special Arabic names. Here are their names and what they mean in English:

Longer Time Periods

The Bahá'í calendar also has longer periods of time:

• A group of 19 years is called a Váhid.
• A group of 19 Váhids (which is 19 x 19 = 361 years) is called a Kull-i-Shay’.

Calendar Start Date

The very first year of the Badí' calendar, Year 1, began at Naw-Rúz in the year 1844 A.D.

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