Bahá'í calendar

The Bahá'í calendar, common to the Bahá'í Faith, is a solar calendar with regular years 365 days long and leap years 366 days long. Years are composed of 19 months of 19 days each, plus an extra period of "Intercalary Days" (4 in regular and 5 in leap years) between the 18th and 19th months (February 26 to March 1). Years in the Bahá'í calendar begin at the vernal equinox (usually March 21 in the Gregorian calendar). Days begin at sunset on the previous solar day and end at sunset of the present solar day.

For the time being Shoghi Effendi the first Guardian of the Baha'i Faith declared that the Badi calendar is "locked" to the Gregorian calendar with the new year always starting at sunset on March 20. The implementation of the variable calendar with respect to the beginning of Naw Ruz will require the Universal House of Justice selecting a single spot for the fixing of the date of the equinox. [1]

History

The Bahá'í calendar is also called the Badi` calendar, that was created and described by the Báb.

Years in the Bahá'í calendar are counted from 21 March, 1844, the beginning of the Bahá'í Era or Badi` Era (abbreviated BE). Thus, year 1 BE was from 21 March 1844 to 20 March 1845.

Bahá'í Months

Bahá'í Holy Days

The Days of the Week

Wáhid and Kull-i-Shay'

Also existing in the Bahá'í calendar system is a 19-year cycle called Wáhid and a 361-year (19x19) supercycle called Kull-i-Shay' (literally, "All Things"). The 9th Wáhid of the 1st Kull-i-Shay' started in 1996. The 2nd Kull-i-Shay' will begin on 21 March 2205. (Years are counted from 1844.)

Years in a Wáhid:

See also

• Calendar
• Bahá'í Faith
• Translation of each month to local languages.