Ayyám-i-Há is a festive period In the Bahá’í Faith to prepare spiritually for a month of fasting
From February 25 through March 1, we celebrated Ayyám-i-Há. Bahá’ís dedicate this moment to preparing spiritually for a month of fasting and performing acts of socialization, hospitality, generosity, and service. This year, we organized a special celebration for our students and families in the Bahá’í community.
As one of our main acts of service, School of the Nations community partnered with several educational institutions to collect donations and perform volunteer services. Students and staff from Early Childhood through High School donated toys, clothes, toiletries, diapers, and much more. In addition, the school community helped collect school supplies for the "Campanha Volta às aulas," a program sponsored by the Procuradoria de Justiça de Defesa da Educação (PROEDUC), which assists students in public schools in the Federal District.
The Bahá’í calendar is composed of nineteen months, each consisting of nineteen days and named after the attributes of God. Nineteen months, multiplied by nineteen days, add up to 361 days. The additional four days (five in leap years) needed to close the period of a full year are called the Festival of Ayyám-i-Há.
This Festival precedes the period of the Bahá’í fast, a time of prayer, meditation, and spiritual rejuvenation, which takes place during the last month of the Bahá’í calendar when Bahá’ís ages fifteen and older suspend their consumption of food and water from sunrise to sunset for nineteen days until the celebration of Naw-Rúz (New Year). This fasting period serves as spiritual symbolism of detachment and one’s nearness to God.
We hope you had a happy Ayyám-i-Há!
To learn more about the Bahá’í Faith, please visit www.bahai.org.
“With the utmost friendliness and in a spirit of perfect fellowship take ye counsel together, and dedicate the precious days of your lives to the betterment of the world.” - Bahá'u'lláh
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