26 And At Its Close Have Designated For You Naw-ruz As A Feast #16

Categories: NOTES
Sources: The Kitab-i-aqdas

The Bab introduced a new calendar, known now as the Badi or Baha'i

calendar (see notes 27 and 147). According to this calendar, a day is the

period from sunset to sunset. In the Bayan, the Bab ordained the month of

'Ala to be the month of fasting, decreed that the day of Naw-Ruz should

mark the termination of that period, and designated Naw-Ruz as the Day of

God. Baha'u'llah confirms the Badi calendar wherein Naw-Ruz is designated< r />
as a feast.



Naw-Ruz is the first day of the new year. It coincides with the spring

equinox in the northern hemisphere, which usually occurs on 21 March.

Baha'u'llah explains that this feast day is to be celebrated on whatever

day the sun passes into the constellation of Aries (i.e. the vernal

equinox), even should this occur one minute before sunset (Q and A 35).

Hence Naw-Ruz could fall on 20, 21, or 22 March, depending on the time of

the equinox.



Baha'u'llah has left the details of many laws to be filled in by the

Universal House of Justice. Among these are a number of matters affecting

the Baha'i calendar. The Guardian has stated that the implementation,

worldwide, of the law concerning the timing of Naw-Ruz will require the

choice of a particular spot on earth which will serve as the standard for

the fixing of the time of the spring equinox. He also indicated that the

choice of this spot has been left to the decision of the Universal House

of Justice.