Naw-Ruz and The Feast of Ridvan

March and April are very important months for a Baha'i. The fast ends at sundown on March 21st and the new Baha'i year begins. Because of this, I would like to wish all my readers a Happy Naw-Ruz, or Happy New Year.

It may seem unusual to start the year in the spring, but it really isn't. In the Judaic - Christian Bible it states in Exodus 12:2 that the month of Abib is, "the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you." This month starts on the first new moon after the Spring Equinox. It is the month in which Passover and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread occurs.

Baha'is also see the physical springtime as a reflection of the Spiritual Springtime. It is the time of year when the world seems to be reborn.

Although Naw-Ruz is just past, this link is to a nice Naw-Ruz greeting, but it does require SHOCKWAVE to view. It does have a link to download SHOCKWAVE, though: http://home.swipnet.se/~w-19710/nawruz.h...

This link is a well-written article on Naw-Ruz that goes deeper into its history: http://www.safnet.com/bahai/docs/nawruz....

Following this are the 12 days of Ridvan, which commemorates the public declaration of Baha'u'llah's mission and His exile from Baghdad to Akka. Of these 12 days, the most important are the first, ninth and twelfth. J.E. Esslemont recounts this event much better than I could. I quote from his book, Baha'u'llah and the New Era: "After much negotiation, at the request of the Persian Government, an order was issued by the Turkish Government summoning Bahá'u'lláh to Constantinople. On receipt of this news His followers were in consternation. They besieged the house of their beloved Leader to such an extent that the family encamped in the Garden of Najíb Páshá outside the town for twelve days, while the caravan was being prepared for the long journey. It was during these twelve days (April 22 to May 3, 1863, i.e. nineteen years after the Báb's Declaration) that Bahá'u'lláh announced to several of His followers the glad tidings that He was the One Whose coming had been foretold by the Báb -- the Chosen of God, the Promised One of all the Prophets. The Garden where this memorable Declaration took place has become known to Bahá'ís as the "Garden of Ridván," and the days Bahá'u'lláh spent there are commemorated in the "Feast of Ridván," which is held annually on the anniversary of those twelve days. During those days Bahá'u'lláh, instead of being sad or depressed, showed the greatest joy, dignity and power. His followers became happy and enthusiastic, and great crowds came to pay their respects to Him. All the notables of Baghdád, even the Governor himself, came to honor the departing prisoner."

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