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Mandaeism
Prophets Adam Seth Noah Shem John the Baptist
Names for adherents Mandaeans Sabians Nasoraeans Gnostics
Scriptures Ginza Rabba Right Ginza Left Ginza Mandaean Book of John Qulasta (list) Haran Gawaita The Wedding of the Great Shishlam The Baptism of Hibil Ziwa Diwan Abatur The Thousand and Twelve Questions Scroll of Exalted Kingship The Coronation of the Great Shishlam Alma Rišaia Rba Alma Rišaia Zuṭa Zihrun Raza Kasia Scroll of the Parwanaya Book of the Zodiac Dmut Kušṭa Scroll of the Rivers Secrets of the Ancestors Scroll of the Ancestors
Priests Rishama Ganzibra Tarmida Shganda
Individual leaders Miriai Shlama beth Qidra Zazai of Gawazta Anush Bar Danqa Yahya Bihram Dakhil Aidan Jabbar Choheili Sattar Jabbar Hilow Najah Choheili Salah Choheili Brikha Nasoraia
Rituals Masbuta Masiqta Tamasha Rishama Kushta Qabin Misha
Ritual food and drink Mambuha Halalta Hamra Pihta Fatira Zidqa brikha Lofani Sa Dukrana
Practices Belief in Oneness of God Daily prayer Baptism Fasting Almsgiving
Objects and symbols Drabsha Rasta Burzinqa Pandama Klila Taga Riha Skandola
Cosmology Hayyi Rabbi World of Light Mana Manda Uthra Manda d-Hayyi Yushamin Abatur Ptahil Hibil Shitil Anush Sam Ziwa Bihram Rabba Adathan Yadathan Shilmai Nidbai Yawar Ziwa Simat Hayyi Yufin-Yufafin Nsab Nbat Gubran Shihlun Urfeil Marfeil Saureil Zihrun Etinsib Ziwa Piriawis Tarwan Yura Yurba Yukashar Ziwa Shahrat Malwasha Nishimta Dinanukht Shishlam Ezlat škina Dmuta Mshunia Kushta Adam kasia Adam pagria Shatrin Laufa Hitfun Tibil World of Darkness Sea of Suf Siniawis Matarta Ruha Ur Krun Gaf Qin Zahreil Anathan Giu Shdum Zartai-Zartanai Hag Mag
Festivals Parwanaya Dehwa Rabba Dehwa d-Shishlam Rabba Dehwa Daimana Dehwa Hanina Abu al-Haris (Ashoriya) Ead Fel
Places Yardena Beth Manda Shkinta Andiruna
Prayers Sidra d-Nishmata Asut Malkia Rushuma Rahma Tabahatan Shumhata Bshuma
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TheMandaean calendar is a 365-daysolar calendar used by theMandaean people.^[1] It consists of twelve 30-day months, with five extra days at the end ofŠumbulta (the 8th month). TheParwanaya (or Panja) festival takes place during those five days.^[2] Since there is no leap year, every four years, all Mandaean dates (like beginnings of the months or festivals) move one day back with respect to theGregorian calendar.

Each month (iahra oryahra^[3]: 220) is named after a constellation (manzalta^[4]).^[2] The Mandaic names of the twelve constellations of theZodiac are derived from commonAramaic roots. As with theseven planets, the constellations, frequently known as thetrisar (Classical Mandaic:ࡕࡓࡉࡎࡀࡓ, "The Twelve") ortrisar malwašia ("Twelve Constellations") inMandaic texts,^[5] are generally not viewed favorably since they constitute part of the entourage ofRuha, the Queen of theWorld of Darkness, who is also their mother.^[6]

There is also another alternative set of names for the Mandaean months cognate with the month names found in theBabylonian andHebrew calendars.^[3]

Each month consists of exactly 30 days.^[7] TheParwanaya festival comes between the 8th month (Šumbulta) and 9th month (Qaina) to make up for 5 extra days in the solar calendar.

Due to a lack of aleap year included in the Mandaean calendar, dates change by one day every four years with respect to theGregorian calendar. Currently, for example in 2022 CE,Sarṭana, meaningCancer, corresponds to December / January in the Gregorian calendar, instead of June / July.

The hours of the day are counted starting at dawn (ṣipra),^[2][1]: 75 although Mandaeans formerly counted the hours of the day starting at sunset or evening (paina).^[8] In Mandaic, a 24-hour day is known as ayuma, daytime asʿumama, and nighttime aslilia.^[8] An hour is called ašaia, 5 minutes is called ašuša, and a minute is called apigia.^{[3]: 218–219}

Some days are considered to be auspicious, while others are ominous (mbaṭṭal).^[2]

The days of the week are as follows.Habšaba (Sunday) is considered to be the first day of the week.

The four seasons are as follows, with the year starting with winter.^[2] The three months of each season, given below, are also referred to in Mandaic as the beginning, middle, or end of the season.^[3]: 17

• sitwa (winter):Daula,Nuna,ʿmbra
• abhar (spring):Taura,Ṣilmia,Ṣarṭana
• giṭa (summer):Aria,Šumbulta,Qaina
• paiz (autumn):Arqba,Hiṭia,Gadia

A Mandaean year is called ašidta.^[3]: 219

The Mandaean calendar is calculated from the year that Adam was born,^[9] or approximately 443,370 BCE.Charles G. Häberl calculates the date 18 July 2019 CE as corresponding to 1Dowla 481,343 AA (AA = after the creation of Adam).^[10] The latter half of 2024 would correspond to 481,348 AA.

All Mandaean years consist of exactly 365 days (12 regular months of 30 days each, plus the 5 intercalary days of theParwanaya). Since Mandaean months do not haveleap years accounted for every four years, seasons "slip back" and will not correspond to the same Gregorian months over time.^[5]

A chronology of the world according toBook 18 of theRight Ginza is as follows.^{[3]: 269–271}

• 216,001 AA – first cataclysm: destruction and pestilence
• 372,001 AA – second cataclysm: flame and fire
• 472,001 AA – third cataclysm:flood
• 478,001 AA – founding of Jerusalem
• 478,401 AA – birth ofJesus (Ešu Mšiha)
• 479,853 AA – rise of the Arab kings
• 530,001 AA – green waters; final cataclysm;Bil (Jupiter) assumes the throne ofPtahil.
• 530,043 AA – the end of the worlds:Ur (Leviathan) devoursTibil and the planets, while "splendor and light" (ziwa u-nhura) are created.

According toBook 18 of theRight Ginza, there are fourepochs (oreras;Classical Mandaic:dara^[3]: 215) of the world, which is given a duration of 480,000 years.^[11][12]

1. Epoch ofAdam and Hawa: 1st generation of humans (216,000 years; 30 generations according toRight Ginza Book 1)
2. Epoch ofRam and Rud: 2nd generation of humans (156,000 years; 25 generations according toRight Ginza Book 1)
3. Epoch ofŠurbai and Šarhabʿil: 3rd generation of humans (100,000 years; 15 generations according toRight Ginza Book 1)
4. Epoch ofNoah andhis wife Nuraita/Nhuraita (current and final epoch): 4th generation of humans (remaining years, which would be 8,000 years if taking the 480,000 years into account)

Mandaean festivals are:^[2][13]

• Parwanaya: Five days thatHayyi Rabbi created the angels and the universe. The 5epagomenals (extra days) inserted at the end of every Šumbulta (the 8th month) constitute the Parwanaya intercalary feast.
• Dehwa Daimana orDehwa Daymaneh (Dihba ḏ-Yamana,Dihba Daimana, orDihba Rba ḏ-Daima): Birthday ofJohn the Baptist. Children are baptized for the first time during this festival.^[5]: 28
• Kanshi u-Zahli: New Year's Eve
• Dehwa Rabba: New Year's Day
• Feast of the Great Shishlam (Classical Mandaic:ࡃࡉࡄࡁࡀ ࡖࡔࡉࡔࡋࡀࡌ ࡓࡁࡀ) orNauruz Zūṭa (ࡍࡀࡅࡓࡅࡆ ࡆࡅࡈࡀ): Little New Year, on the 6th-7th days of Daula, corresponding toEpiphany in Christianity. The Night of Power takes place on the night of the 6th day (similar toQadr Night), during which the heavenly gates ofAbatur are open to the faithful. Priests visit Mandaean households and give them myrtle wreaths to hang on their houses for the rest of the year to protect against evil. The households also donate alms to the priests.
• Dehwa Hanina (Classical Mandaic:ࡃࡉࡄࡁࡀ ࡄࡀࡍࡉࡍࡀ,romanized: Dihba Hanina) orDehwa Ṭurma (Dihba ḏ-Tirma): the Little Feast, begins on the 18th day of Taura. This holiday commemorates the ascension ofHibil Ziwa from the underworld to the Lightworld. The feast lasts for three days. On the first day, Mandaean families visit each other and have a special breakfast of rice, yogurt, and dates. Baptisms are performed, and the dead are commemorated withlofani (ritual meals).
• Ead Fel (Classical Mandaic:ࡐࡉࡋ,romanized: Fil): Crushed dates with roasted sesame seeds (shoshma^[14]) are eaten.
• Abū al-Harīs (Arabic:أبو الهريس) or Ashoriya (Classical Mandaic:ࡀࡔࡅࡓࡉࡄ,romanized: Ašurih), "day of remembrance": on the 1st day of the 6th month,Sarṭana.^[3]: 17 Day of remembrance for the drowned people ofNoah's flood. Grains and cereals are eaten as part of a speciallofani. Mandaeans believe that on this day, Noah and his son Sam made the food of forgiveness of sins for the souls of those who died in the flood. The food of forgiveness consists of seven grains representing the seven days of the week, and from the grounding of these seven grains came the name Abū al-Harīs. (SeeAshure or Noah's pudding.)

Below is an example of a calendar year for the Mandaean year 445375, which corresponds to theGregorian calendar years 2005–2006 orJewish calendar year 5766 (Gelbert 2005: 274).^[7] Fasting (Classical Mandaic:ࡑࡀࡅࡌࡀ,romanized: ṣauma^[5]) is practiced on some days.

Below are some Mandaean holiday dates for 2024:^[15]

• March 13-17 –Parwanaya
• May 17 –Dehwa Daymaneh
• July 15 –Kanshi u-Zahli
• July 16 –Dehwa Rabba
• October 14 – Ead Fel
• October 31 –Dehwa Hanina
• December 13 – Ashoriya (Abu al-Haris)

Every four years, the dates are shifted back by one day, since the Mandaean calendar lacks aleap day. As a result, Mandaean holiday dates for 2028 are:

• March 12-16 –Parwanaya
• May 16 –Dehwa Daymaneh
• July 14 –Kanshi u-Zahli
• July 15 –Dehwa Rabba
• October 13 – Ead Fel
• October 30 –Dehwa Hanina
• December 12 – Ashoriya (Abu al-Haris)

Dakhil Shooshtary, an Iranian-American Mandaean, was known for making Mandaean calendars.^{[16]: xxxii}

• Assyrian calendar
• Babylonian calendar
• Iranian calendars
• Hebrew calendar
• Intercalary month (Egypt)

• Mandaean calendar from the Mandaean Synod of Australia

• Mandaean calendar
• Specific calendars
• Calendar eras
• Solar calendars
• Liturgical calendar

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