Local Baha'i Events

Glossary of Terms used on this Site.

Core Activities; Devotional Gatherings; Study Circles; Tutor; Books; Children’s Classes; Junior Youth Groups; Animators; Fireside; Clusters; Ruhi Institute; Training Institute; Ayyam-i-ha; Naw-Ruz; Festival of Ridvan; Declaration of the Bab; Ascension of Baha’u'llah; Martyrdom of the Bab; Birth of the Bab; Birth of Baha’u'llah; Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Baha; World Religion Day; Race Unity Day

Core Activities.

Core Activities: Children’s classes, junior youth groups, devotional meetings, and study circles have been designated by the international governing body of the Baha’i community as the core activities that every Baha’i Community should try to provide as fundamental building blocks of community life, open to all people living within a locality.

Devotional Gatherings: One of the core activities. The regular gathering together of individuals in a locality for prayer and worship, considered an essential practice of the spiritual health and well being of a community.

Study Circles: One of the core activities. A delivery system for training institute courses, consisting of small groups of people, regardless of their ideas or beliefs, meeting on a regular basis in a locality with a trained tutor or facilitator. Materials developed by the Ruhi Institute are studied and active participation in a learning process is engendered, supplemented by artistic, service and social activities.

Tutor: A facilitator of a study circle.

Books 1-7: Workbooks that the study circles use.

Children’s Classes: One of the core activities. The provision of education for children, whether Baha’i or not, in a locality, often focusing on the development of essential capacities and a strong moral framework that assists children to achieve excellence in material, intellectual, and spiritual aspects of life.

Junior Youth Groups: Junior youth groups are made up of young people between the ages of 12-14 who gather together regularly to learn how to serve their communities, develop their powers of expression and sharpen their capacity to understand the moral implications of their thoughts and actions. They do all of this with the help of an animator (an older youth who acts as a peer and facilitator).

Animator: A facilitator of a junior youth group. Usually (but not always) an older youth who is a loving friend of the junior youth and facilitates the group.

Fireside:A gathering for the purpose of introducing some aspect of the Baha’i teachings to the general public as well as friends and acquaintances of Baha’is.

Clusters: Geographical areas within a country, designated by national or regional Baha’i institutions, to help facilitate grass-roots planning for the growth and development of Baha’i communities on a manageable scale.

Ruhi Institute: A Baha’i training institute in Colombia. Its program of systematic and sustained education, particularly courses delivered through study circles, have been widely adopted by Baha’i Communities throughout the world.

Training Institute: A systematic approach to learning aimed at imparting knowledge, skills, spiritual insights into fundamental aspects of the teachings and practices of the Baha’i Faith in order to better ourselves and the conditions of the world. The program of the training institute consists of a sequence of courses offered at a central location or through study circles at the local level.

Holy Days.

Ayyam-i-ha or Intercalary Days (Feb. 26-March 1): Ayyam-i-ha, or “Days of Ha,” are devoted to spiritual preparation for the Fast, celebrating, hospitality, charity and gift giving. They are celebrated the four days (five in leap year) before the last month of the Baha’i year.

Naw-Ruz (March 21): The Baha’i New Year’s Day is astronomically fixed to begin the year on the spring equinox. Naw-Rúz is one of the nine holy days of the year when work is suspended.

Festival of Ridvan (April 21-May 2): The annual Baha’i festival commemorates the 12 days (April 21-May 2, 1863) when Baha’u’llah, the prophet-founder of the Baha’i Faith, resided in a garden called Ridvan (Paradise) in Baghdad, Iraq. At this time He publicly proclaimed His mission as God’s messenger for this age. The first (April 21), ninth (April 29) and twelfth (May 2) days are celebrated as holy days when work is suspended.

Declaration of the Bab (May 23): The Baha’i commemorates May 23, 1844, when the Bab, the prophet-herald of the Baha’i Faith, announced in Shiraz, Persia, that he was the herald of a new messenger of God. It is one of the nine holy days of the year when work is suspended.

Ascension of Baha’u'llah (May 29): Baha’is observe the anniversary of the death in exile of Baha’u’llah, the prophet-founder of the Baha’i Faith, on May 29, 1892. It is one of the nine holy days of the year where work is suspended.

Martyrdom of the Bab (July 9): The holy day commemorates the anniversary of the execution of the Bab (Siyyid ‘Ali-Muhammad), the prophet-herald of the Baha’i Faith, by a firing squad on July 9, 1850, in Tabriz, Persia. It is one of the nine holy days of the year when work is suspended.

Birth of the Bab (Oct. 20): The day is an observance of the anniversary of the birth on Oct. 20, 1819, in Shiraz, Persia, of Siyyid ‘Ali-Muhammad, who later took the title of “the Bab,” meaning “the Gate.” The Bab was the prophet-herald of the Baha’i Faith. The day is one of the nine holy days of the year when work is suspended.

Birth of Baha’u'llah (Nov. 12): Baha’is observe the anniversary of the birth of Baha’u’llah (born Mirza Husayn-‘Ali) on Nov. 12, 1817, in Núr, Persia. Baha’u’llah, which means the “Glory of God,” is the prophet-founder of the Baha’i Faith. It is one of the nine holy days of the year when work is suspended.

Day of the Covenant (Nov. 26): The festival commemorates Baha’u'llah’s appointment of his eldest son, ‘Abdu’l-Baha, as the Center of His Covenant.

Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Nov 28): Baha’is observe the anniversary of the death of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, son of Baha’u'llah and His appointed succesor, on Nov 28, 1921.

Special Days

World Religion Day (Third Sunday in January): The day is devoted to proclaiming the oneness of religion and the belief that world religion will unify the peoples of the earth. The Baha’i-sponsored observance was established in 1950 by the Baha’is of the United States.

Race Unity Day (Second Sunday in June): The Baha’i-sponsored observance promotes racial harmony and understanding and the essential unity of humanity. It was established in 1957 by the Baha’is of the U.S.