Baha'i's in the Middle East time their yearly celebrations by a lunar and solar
calendar. In other places of the world, their holy days have fixed dates in the Gregorian
calendar:
Naw-Rúz is an ancient Iranian New Years day festival which occurs near
the Spring Equinox. It is now a world holiday of the Baha'i faith. If the equinox occurs
before sunset, then New Year's Day is celebrated on that day in the Middle East; otherwise
it is delayed until the following day. In the rest of the world, it is on Mar-21. It is
celebrated with many symbols indicating regrowth and renewal - much like the Christian
Easter. Some members follow the ancient Iranian "haft-sin" custom on
this day involves arranging seven objects whose name begin with the letter S in Persian;
e.g. hyacinths, apples, lilies, silver coins, garlic, vinegar and rue.
Ridvan (also known as the Most Great Festival and King
of Festivals) is celebrated on April 21. It is a 12 day celebration which recalls
the time when Baha'u'llah declared that he was the prophet predicted by the
Bab. It
is the most holy days of the Baha'i year.
Declaration of the Bab occurs on May-23 each year. It recalls the day
in 1844 CE when the Bab declared that he was the individual to make way for
Baha'u'llah.
Ascension of Baha'u'llah is celebrated on May 29, the anniversary of
Baha'u'llah's death.
Martyrdom of the Bab is on July 9, the date when the Bab was executed.
Birth of the Bab is recognized on October 20, the birthday of the
Bab.
Birth of Baha'u'llah is on November 12, the birthday of
Baha'u'llah.
Day of the Covenant is on November 26; it recognizes the day that
Baha'u'llah's son Abdul-Baha became the Center of the Covenant.
Ascension of Abdu'l-Baha is on November 28; it recalls the death of
Abdul-Baha.
Wicca is the most common Neopagan
religion in North America. It is a reconstruction of an ancient Pagan religion of the
ancient Celtic people. Wiccans tend to keep a very low profile, because of persecution by
the dominant religion. Their seasonal days of celebration are called Sabbats. There are a
total of 8 Sabbats: 4 minor and 4 major. Each is spaced about 45 days apart throughout the
year:
4 Minor Sabbats are timed to the beginning of each season:
the two Equinoxes of March 21 and September 21st when the daytime and nighttime
are each 12 hours long.
the two Solstices, added by the Saxons, of December 21,
(the longest night/shortest day of the year) and June 21 (the shortest night/longest
day of the year).
Actually, the exact date of these Sabbats vary from year to year and may occur from the
20th to 23rd of the month. Wiccans may celebrate the Sabbat on the evening before, at
sunrise on the morning of the equinox or solstice, or at the time of the astronomical
event. 1
The above dates and times are as accurate as the astronomical calculations on
The Dome of the Sky web site. 1Times are in UT
(Universal Time). This used to be called Greenwich Mean Time or GMT. In North
America, you can find the local time by subtracting:
4 hours for EDT
5 hours for EST and CDT
6 hours for CST and MDT
7 hours for MST and PDT
8 hours for PST
4 Major Sabbats are approximately half-way between an equinox and
solstice. Different Wiccan traditions assign various names and dates to these festivals. Perhaps
the most common names are Celtic:
Samhain on OCT-31. This is the Wiccan New Year's Eve.
Imbolc on FEB-2
Beltane on APR-30
Lammas on AUG- 1
Dates of the major Sabbats are approximate. Their origins are believed to be related to
hunting, farming, and animal fertility. They occur roughly midway between the minor
Sabbats, typically near the start of a month.
Many Wiccans also hold special celebrations at or near the time of each full moon; some
also celebrate the new moons.
Reasonable care has been taken to prepare this list. Sources often differ, so check
elsewhere if the precise date is important.
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