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Upcoming Holy Days - November
Last year, our November newsletter focused on several holy days that revolve around a belief in the “thinning of the veil” between the living and the dead. Those days, which fall on Nov. 1-2 every year, include Samhain in the Wiccan/Neo-Pagan traditions, All Saints’ Day & All Souls’ Day in the Christian traditions, and Day of the Dead in Mexico. Diwali, the popular festival of lights that originated in India (celebrated by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs), also falls in November this year.
Less well known are the November Baháʼí holy days. The Baháʼí Faith, which is grounded in a monotheistic and omniscient God, began in Persia (now Iran) in the mid 1840’s. The Baháʼí calendar year begins on the spring equinox and has 19 months with 19 days each = 361 days. The calendar then adds 4-5 “intercalary” days in Feb./March which keeps the Baháʼí calendar aligned with the solar-based, Gregorian calendar. That also means that Baháʼí holy days fall at the same time every year.
Birth of Baháʼu'lláh (Nov. 12): Baháʼu'lláh {bah-HAH-oo-luh} was born on Nov. 12, 1817. In his late 20’s, he began following the Báb, a religious leader who claimed that a new prophet – similar to Jesus or Mohammad – would soon arrive. At the age of 46, Baháʼu'lláh claimed that he was that awaited prophet. This Baháʼí blog site has loads of information about Baháʼu'lláh. His birthday is usually celebrated in conjunction with the Báb’s birthday sometime between mid-October and mid-November on the Gregorian calendar. This year, it fell on October 19.
Day of the Covenant (Nov. 25 or 26): In his will, Baháʼu'lláh named his oldest son, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá {ahb-dool bah-HAH}, as his successor. This line of succession, known as the Covenant, helped the Baháʼí Faith remain a unified, global movement. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá gave speeches around the world promoting world harmony and is widely known as an ambassador of peace. Upon ʻAbdu'l-Bahá’s death, his grandson, Shoghi Offendi {show-gee oh-fen-dee}, became the leader of the Baháʼí Faith.
Ascension of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (Nov. 27 or 28): ʻAbdu'l-Bahá died on Nov. 28, 1921, so this Baháʼí holy day honors his life. There is no common liturgy in the Baháʼí Faith. Instead, members of the community organize devotional services on their own. They often include singing, prayers, and reading excerpts from the extensive writings of these Baháʼí leaders.
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