Ayyám-i-Há

Basic details

Excess days in calendar to be celebrated before fasting month

"Let the days in excess of the months be placed before the month of fasting. We have ordained that these, amid all nights and days, shall be the manifestations of the letter Há, and thus they have not been bounded by the limits of the year and its months...when they end--these days of giving that precede the season of restraint--let them enter upon the Fast."

(Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Aqdas, par. 16)

"IV.B.2. The period of fasting commences with the termination of the Intercalary Days, and ends with the Naw-Rúz Festival."

(Synopsis and Codification of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, no. IV.B.2, under "Fasting")

The Báb did not specifically define the placement of the intercalary days while the Kitáb-i-Aqdas resolves this

"The Badí' calendar is based on the solar year of 365 days, 5 hours, and 50 odd minutes. The year consists of 19 months of 19 days each (i.e. 361 days), with the addition of four extra days (five in a leap year). The Báb did not specifically define the place for the intercalary days in the new calendar. The Kitáb-i-Aqdas resolves this question by assigning the "excess" days a fixed position in the calendar immediately preceding the month of 'Alá', the period of fasting. For further details see the section on the Bahá'í calendar in The Bahá'í World, volume XVIII."

(Notes to the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, no. 27)

"The Bahá'í year consists of 19 months of 19 each (i.e., 361 days), with the addition of certain 'intercalary days' (four in ordinary and five in leap years) between the eighteenth and nineteenth months in order to adjust the calendar to the solar year..."

(Bahá'í World, Vol. X, p.425, cited at https://bahai-library.com/compilations/covenantadmin.html )

"The Bahá'í year, in accordance with the Badí' calendar, consists of nineteen months of nineteen days each, with the addition of certain intercalary days (four in an ordinary year and five in a leap year) between the eighteenth and nineteenth months in order to adjust the calendar to the solar year."

(Notes to the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, no. 147)

Number of days to depend on timing of the vernal equinox (per new calendar details)

"The number of days of Ayyám-i-Há will vary according to the timing of the vernal equinox in successive years; the year commencing on Naw-Rúz 172 B.E. will include four such days."

(Universal House of Justice, to the Bahá’ís of the World, at 10 July 2014)

Meaning

(The Intercalary Days are one of the Miscellaneous Laws in the Book)

"The Intercalary Days"

(Synopsis and Codification of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, no. IV.D.1.i, under "Miscellaneous Laws and Ordinances")

"In this Book He, moreover...establishes the Nineteen Day Feasts, the Bahá'í festivals and the Intercalary Days..."

(Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 214)

The letter "Há" has been given several spiritual meanings including as a symbol of the Essence of God

"Known as the Ayyám-i-Há (the Days of Há), the Intercalary Days have the distinction of being associated with "the letter Há". The abjad numerical value of this Arabic letter is five, which corresponds to the potential number of intercalary days.

"The letter "Há" has been given several spiritual meanings in the Holy Writings, among which is as a symbol of the Essence of God."

(Notes to the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, no. 28)

Activities

To provide good cheer for selves, kindred, and poor/needy and joyously glorify and praise God

"Let the days in excess of the months be placed before the month of fasting. We have ordained that these, amid all nights and days, shall be the manifestations of the letter Há, and thus they have not been bounded by the limits of the year and its months. It behoveth the people of Bahá, throughout these days, to provide good cheer for themselves, their kindred and, beyond them, the poor and needy, and with joy and exultation to hail and glorify their Lord, to sing His praise and magnify His Name; and when they end --these days of giving that precede the season of restraint--let them enter upon the Fast."

(Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Aqdas, par. 16)

Exchanging of presents is not integral part of nine Holy Days, though Persians do on Naw-Rúz; however, Ayyám-i-Há is set aside for giving of gifts (and feasting, rejoining, and charity) though no explanation given for it

"The exchanging of presents among believers or the giving of gifts to children is not an integral part of any of our nine Bahá'í Holy Days. There is no prohibition against it, and it is, as you say, a custom among Persian believers such as the Bahá'í to whom you spoke, to exchange gifts at Naw-Ruz.

"The desire of you and your husband to associate the time of gift giving with your children's involvement in the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh is praiseworthy and it is felt that the following extract from a letter written by the secretary of the beloved Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand on December 26, 1941 will be of value to you: 'The intercalary days are specifically set aside for hospitality, the giving of gifts, etc. Bahá'u'lláh Himself specified that they be used this way, but gave no explanation for it.'

"In 'The Bahá'í World', Vol. XV, p. 691 we read: 'Bahá'u'lláh designated those days as the 'Ayyam-i-Ha' and ordained that they should immediately precede the month of Ala, which is the month of fasting. He enjoined upon His followers to devote these days to feasting, rejoicing, and charity.'"

(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, January 18, 1982; in Lights of Guidance, no. 1023; citation is in Letters from the Guardian to Australia and New Zealand, p. 42 and Messages to the Antipodes, p. 179)

"Bahá'u'lláh enjoined upon His followers to devote these days to feasting, rejoicing and charity. In a letter written on Shoghi Effendi's behalf it is explained that "the intercalary days are specially set aside for hospitality, the giving of gifts, etc."."

(Notes to the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, no. 29)

Advisable for believers to observe Intercalary Days and Naw-Ruz in place of Christmas and New Years in relation to each other

"As regards the celebration of the Christian Holiday by the believers; it is surely preferable and even highly advisable that the friends should in their relation to each other discontinue observing such holidays as Christmas and New Years, and to have their festival gatherings of this nature instead during the Intercalary Days and Naw-Ruz...."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, Directives from the Guardian, p. 38, March 19, 1938, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1029)

Feast

No objection to celebrating the last Feast during the Intercalary Days (or the Fast)

"As to your question relative to the last Nineteen Day Feast, Shoghi Effendi sees no objection if the friends choose to celebrate it on one of the intercalary days. They may also celebrate it during the month of fasting, provided they abstain from food."

(In a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 2 August 1934 to an individual believer; in Nineteen Day Feast, no. 28)

See also

• Prayer for Ayyám-i-Há
• Celebrating non-Bahá'í festivals
• Commemorating Holy Days