| Year | Ayyám-i-Há | Fast | Naw-Rúz | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 26 Feb | 1 Mar | 2 Mar | 20 Mar | 21 Mar |
| 2024 | 26 Feb | 29 Feb | 1 Mar | 19 Mar | 20 Mar |
| 2025 | 25 Feb | 28 Feb | 1 Mar | 19 Mar | 20 Mar |
| 2026 | 25 Feb | 1 Mar | 2 Mar | 20 Mar | 21 Mar |
| 2027 | 26 Feb | 1 Mar | 2 Mar | 20 Mar | 21 Mar |
| 2028 | 26 Feb | 29 Feb | 1 Mar | 19 Mar | 20 Mar |
| 2029 | 25 Feb | 28 Feb | 1 Mar | 19 Mar | 20 Mar |
| 2030 | 25 Feb | 28 Feb | 1 Mar | 19 Mar | 20 Mar |
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Naw-Rúz (Persian:نوروز,romanized: Nowruz) is the first day of theBaháʼí calendar year, and one of elevenholy days for adherents of theBaháʼí Faith. It occurs on thenorthern vernal equinox, on or near March 21, which is also thetraditional Persian New Year.[2]
The traditionalNowruz holiday, from which the Baha'i holiday derives, has been celebrated since ancient times inIran, and is observed by culturally-adjacent peoples inAzerbaijan,Turkey,Uzbekistan,Turkmenistan,Iraq,Armenia,Georgia,Russia,Afghanistan,Pakistan,Syria, andTajikistan.[2] TheBáb, the founder ofBábism, and thenBaháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, adopted the day as a holy day and associated it with theMost Great Name of God.[2][3] The Baha'i holiday as now calculated does not always fall on the same day as the traditional festival (but may differ by one day), and does not incorporate a number of Persian cultural practices associated with the traditional holiday, but is a religious event featuring readings from Baha'i scriptures.
For 2025, Naw-Rúz begins at sunset on Wednesday, March 19 and ends at sunset on Thursday, March 20.
TheBáb, the founder ofBábi religion, instituted theBadíʻ calendar composed of 19 months, each of 19 days.[4] The first month, and the first day of each month, are all namedBahá, anArabic word meaningsplendour orglory. Thus Naw-Rúz, the first day of the year, is the day of Bahá in the month of Bahá.[2][5] The day was calledthe Day of God by the Báb, and was associated withHe whom God shall make manifest, a messianic figure in the Báb's writings.[3]
Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of theBaháʼí Faith who is recognized as the messianic figure expected by the Báb, adopted the new calendar and the use of Naw-Rúz as a holy day.[2] The day follows theBaháʼí month of fasting, and he explained that Naw-Rúz was associated with theMost Great Name of God,[2][5] and was instituted as a festival for those who observed the fast.[6][7]
The symbolic notion of the renewal of time in each religious dispensation was made explicit by the writings of the Báb and Baháʼu'lláh and the calendar and the new year made this spiritual metaphor more concrete.[8]ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, Baháʼu'lláh's son and successor, explained that significance of Naw-Rúz in terms of spring and the new life it brings.[2] He explained that the equinox is a symbol of theManifestations of God, who includeJesus,Muhammad, the Báb and Baháʼu'lláh among others, and the message that they proclaim is like a spiritual springtime, and that Naw-Rúz is used to commemorate it.[9]
Baháʼu'lláh, in theKitáb-i-Aqdas, defines Naw-Rúz as the day on which thevernal equinox occurs.[2][10] The exact timing of Naw-Rúz for Baháʼís worldwide depends on the choice of a particular spot on theEarth and was left to theUniversal House of Justice, the governing body of the Baháʼís, to decide.[11] In 2014, the Universal House of Justice choseTehran as the particular spot.[12] Since Baháʼí days start at sundown,[13] if the equinox occurs just before sunset, the day which started on the previous sunset is Naw-Rúz.[2] Thus Naw-Rúz could fall between March 19th and March 21st of the Gregorian calendar. These dates are pre-calculated years in advance.[14][15] All dates in theBaháʼí calendar are set in relation to Naw-Rúz and thus may shift on the Gregorian calendar by a day or two depending on the timing of thevernal equinox.
Naw-Rúz is one of nineBaháʼí holy days where work and school must be suspended;[4] the only one that is not associated with an event in the lives of either the Báb or Baháʼu'lláh.[5] It is usually a festive event observed with meetings forprayer and music and dancing.[16][17] Since the new year also ends theBaháʼí month of fasting the celebration is often combined with a dinner.[13][17] As with all Baháʼí holy days, there are few fixed rules for observing Naw-Rúz, and Baháʼís all over the world celebrate it as a festive day, according to local custom.[2] Persian Baháʼís may observe some of the Iranian customs associated withNowruz such as theHaft Sîn, while American Baháʼí communities, for example, may have apotluck dinner, along with prayers and readings fromBaháʼí scripture.
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help) republished inEffendi, Shoghi (1983). Hornby, Helen (ed.).Lights of Guidance: A Baháʼí Reference File. Baháʼí Publishing Trust, New Delhi, India.ISBN 81-85091-46-3.