Nineteen months. Nineteen days. One Creator.

Ayyám-i-Há & the Fast

The days outside the pattern.

Between the 18th month (Mulk) and the 19th month (ʻAláʼ, the Fast), 4 or 5 intercalary days — Ayyám-i-Há — are inserted for hospitality, gift-giving, and charity. The 19th month is then observed as the annual Month of Fasting, ending at Naw-Rúz.

Frequently asked

About the Badíʻ calendar.

What is the Badíʻ calendar?

The Badíʻ calendar (also called the Baháʼí calendar) is the solar calendar used by the Baháʼí community. It divides the year into 19 months of 19 days each, with 4 or 5 intercalary days (Ayyám-i-Há) inserted before the final month, the Fast. It totals 365 or 366 days, matching the solar year.

Who established the Baháʼí calendar?

The calendar was inaugurated by the Báb in the Bayán and later confirmed and adapted by Baháʼu'lláh. Details of its application — including the anchoring of Naw-Rúz to the vernal equinox as observed in Tehran — were set by the Universal House of Justice in 2014, effective from 2015.

Why is the number 19 significant?

The Báb designed the calendar around the number 19, whose numerical value in the abjad system equals the phrase Váḥid, meaning 'Unity'. Nineteen months of nineteen days, a nineteen-year Váḥid, and a Kull-i-Shayʼ of 19 × 19 = 361 years all reflect this pattern.

What is the 'attribute' of a Baháʼí day?

Each Baháʼí day carries three overlapping attributes of God: the attribute of the month (one of the 19), the attribute of the day of the month (also cycling through the same 19 names), and the attribute of the day of the week (one of 7). Together they give every date a distinctive spiritual character.

See also: Baháʼí Holy Days

What are the Days of the Báb, Baháʼu'lláh, and ʻAbdu'l-Bahá?

The 19 days of each Baháʼí month are grouped into three sets: days 1–7 are the Days of the Báb, days 8–14 are the Days of Baháʼu'lláh, and days 15–19 are the Days of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá. This grouping was described by Shoghi Effendi and reflects the successive Central Figures of the Faith.

When does a Baháʼí day begin?

A Baháʼí day begins and ends at sunset, following the practice of many earlier revealed religions. So the observance of a Holy Day or the start of the Fast begins at sunset the evening before its Gregorian date.

When does the Baháʼí year begin?

The Baháʼí year begins at Naw-Rúz, the moment of the vernal equinox as observed in Tehran. In most years this falls on March 20 or 21 in the Gregorian calendar. If the equinox occurs after sunset in Tehran, Naw-Rúz is observed the following day.

See also: Holy Days & Naw-Rúz

What is Ayyám-i-Há?

Ayyám-i-Há — the 'Days of Há' — are 4 or 5 intercalary days inserted between the 18th and 19th months (between Mulk and ʻAláʼ). They are set aside for hospitality, gift-giving, and charity, and precede the annual Month of Fasting.

See also: Ayyám-i-Há on the Holy Days page

What is a Váḥid?

A Váḥid is a cycle of 19 Baháʼí years. The word means 'Unity' and has a numerical value of 19 in the abjad system. Each year within a Váḥid is given its own name — Alif, Bá, Ab, Dál, Báb, Váv, Abad, Jád, Bahá, Ḥubb, Bahháj, Javáb, Aḥad, Vahháb, Vidád, Badíʻ, Bahí, Abhá, Váḥid.

What is a Kull-i-Shayʼ?

A Kull-i-Shayʼ is a great cycle of 19 Váḥids, or 361 Baháʼí years. The name means 'All Things' and its numerical value is 361. The first Kull-i-Shayʼ began at Naw-Rúz 1844, the year of the Báb's declaration.

What year is it in the Baháʼí calendar?

Baháʼí years are counted from Naw-Rúz 1844 — the Declaration of the Báb — designated year 1 B.E. (Baháʼí Era). We are currently in year 183 B.E., which corresponds to the 12th year of the 10th Váḥid of the 1st Kull-i-Shayʼ.

How does the Baháʼí calendar map to the Gregorian calendar?

Because Naw-Rúz is anchored to the astronomical equinox, the Gregorian start date of each Baháʼí month shifts by a day or two from year to year. The dates published here are approximate — the Universal House of Justice confirms exact dates each year.

See also: Confirmed 2026–2027 dates