Twin Holy Birthdays
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The "Festivals of the Twin Birthdays" or the "Twin Holy Birthdays" refers to two successive holy days in the Bahá'í calendar, that celebrate the birth of two central figures of the Bahá'í Faith. The two holy days are the birth of the Báb on the first day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar (20 October 1819) and the birth of Bahá'u'lláh on the second day of Muharram (two years prior, on 12 November 1817).[1][2][3]
They are observed on the first and the second day following the occurrence of the eighth new moon after Naw-Rúz, as determined in advance by astronomical tables using Tehran as the point of reference.[4] This results in the observance of the Twin Birthdays moving, year to year, within the months of Mashíyyat, ‘Ilm, and Qudrat of the Bahá'í calendar, or from mid-October to mid-November in to the Gregorian calendar.[5]
Prior to 2015 and a decision by the Universal House of Justice, the governing body of the Bahá'ís, these two holy days had been observed on the first and second days of Muharram in the Islamic lunar calendar in the Middle East, while other countries observed them according to the Gregorian calendar, on October 20 (for the birth of the Báb) and November 12 (for the birth of Bahá'u'lláh).[2]
In 2015, the celebrations of the birth of the Báb will occur on 10 Qudrat (November 13) and the birth of Bahá'u'lláh on 11 Qudrat (November 14).[5] In 174 B.E. (2017) and 176 B.E. (2019) the bicentennial anniversaries of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh and the Birth of the Báb will be celebrated.[5]
| Year | Dates (Badí' Calendar) | Dates (Gregorian Calendar) | Bicentennials |
|---|---|---|---|
| 172 B.E. (2015 A.D.) | Qudrat 10, 11 | November 13, 14 | |
| 173 B.E. (2016 A.D.) | `Ilm 18, 19 | November 1, 2 | |
| 174 B.E. (2017 A.D.) | `Ilm 7, 8 | October 21, 22 | Bicentennial of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh (From sunset on Saturday October 21 to sunset on Sunday October 22) |
| 175 B.E. (2018 A.D.) | Qudrat 6, 7 | November 9, 10 | |
| 176 B.E. (2019 A.D.) | `Ilm 14, 15 | October 29, 30 | Bicentennial of the Birth of the Báb (From sunset on Monday October 28 to sunset on Tuesday October 29) |
| 177 B.E. (2020 A.D.) | `Ilm 4, 5 | October 18, 19 |
Significance
The notion of "twin Manifestations of God" is a concept fundamental to Bahá'í belief, describing the relationship between the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh. Both are considered Manifestations of God in their own right, having each founded separate religions (Bábism and the Bahá'í Faith) and revealed their own holy scriptures. To Bahá'ís, however, the missions of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh are inextricably linked: The Báb's mission was to prepare the way for the coming of He whom God shall make manifest, who eventually appeared in the person of Bahá'u'lláh. For this reason, both the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh are revered as central figures of the Bahá'í Faith.[6]
In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá'u'lláh wrote that his birthday and that of Báb "are accounted as one in the sight of God".[7]
Notes
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- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Momen, Moojan (2014). The Badí` (Bahá'í) Calendar: An Introduction.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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External links
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