The Sunday Mail
Flora Teckie Bahai Faith
HARARE Bahá’ís will be celebrating Naw-Ruz, their New Year, on March 20.
The Bahá’í New-Year coincides with the vernal (spring) equinox, the first day of spring. It is the time of freshness and renewal in nature. It is also symbolic of the periodic renewal of the religion of God – the coming of the spiritual spring.
As stated in the Bahá’í Scriptures: “At the time of the vernal equinox in the material world a wonderful vibrant energy and new life-quickening is observed everywhere in the vegetable kingdom; the animal and human kingdoms are resuscitated and move forward with a new impulse.
“The whole world is born anew, resurrected. Gentle zephyrs are set in motion, wafting and fragrant; flowers bloom; the trees are in blossom, the air temperate and delightful; how pleasant and beautiful become the mountains, fields and meadows.
“Likewise, the spiritual bounty and springtime of God quicken the world of humanity with a new animus and vivification. All the virtues which have been deposited and potential in human hearts are being revealed from that reality as flowers and blossoms from divine gardens. It is a day of joy, a time of happiness, a period of spiritual growth.”
The Bahá’í calendar is based on the solar year. It begins on March 21 and is divided into 19 months of 19 days each month.
Four intercalary days are added (and in the leap years a fifth day) to make up the year. The months are named after some of the attributes of God such as might, glory and grandeur.
The Bahá’í calendar dates its years from 1844, which marks the beginning of the Bahá’í Era. This year is 174 BE (Bahá’í Era).
The Baha’i New Year festival comes at the end of a 19-day fast in which Bahá’ís abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset as a reminder of the need for individuals to be detached from their material desires. Naw-Ruz is the first day of the first of 19 months in the Bahá’í calendar.
The Bahá’í Faith is the youngest of the world’s independent religions. With followers in at least 233 countries and dependent territories, the Bahá’í Faith has become the second-most widespread Faith in its geographic reach (according to Encyclopaedia Britannica) and is among the fastest growing world religions.
It is the central theme of Bahá’u’lláh’s message that humanity is one, that the diversity of ethnic backgrounds adds to the beauty and perfection of the whole, and that the day has come for the unification of humanity into one global society.
With unity, a unity that welcomes and honours the full diversity of mankind, the problems which face humanity today, can be solved.
In this regard Bahá’u’lláh writes: “The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established,” and; “So powerful is the light of unity,” and it is His further testimony “that it can illuminate the whole earth”.
Bahá’í beliefs also address such essential themes as the oneness of God and oneness of all major world religions; freedom from all types of prejudice; the inherent nobility of the human being; the progressive revelation of religious truth; the crucial need for development of spiritual qualities; the importance of integrating worship and service; the fundamental equality of men and women; the harmony between religion and science; the centrality of justice to all human endeavours; the importance of universal education; and the dynamics of the relationships that bind individuals, communities, and institutions as humanity advances towards its collective maturity.
The worldwide Baha’i community, composed of people from virtually every background, is working to give practical expression to Bahá’u’lláh’s vision of a peaceful and prosperous world; and welcomes everyone to join them in a united effort of building a divine civilisation.
Feedback: [email protected] or [email protected]. Website: www.bahai.org
