BLOG: Interfaith Week Festival Diary – Dr. Tahirih Danesh on Baháʼí Autumn Festivals
Our Festival Diary blog series invites members and friends of WIN to prepare a ‘festival diary’, exploring the history and significance of specific rituals or outlining the routine of religious celebrations, as a window into the lived experience of people of different faiths. This Interfaith Week, we are sharing three Festival Diaries from friends of WIN to highlight how much we have in common as women of faith, as well as the deeper meaning of our festivals. Our final author is WIN Trustee, Dr. Tahirih Danesh, who reflects on the several Baháʼí festivals during the autumn period.
The months of October and November are filled with a range of important dates for the member and friends of the Baha’i community worldwide. In addition to the Feasts that bring together community members to share devotional, administrative and social time together every nine days, the Baha’is celebrate the anniversary of the births of two central figures of this latest independent and Divinely-revealed Faith.
The births of Baha’u’llah and the Bab on two consecutive days are among the most joyful occasions in the Baha’i calendar. Born in 1817 and 1819, respectively, they helped usher in a new era in human consciousness that redefines Faith and introduces a range of practical solutions to the challenges of this day and age. These include principles that lead to socioeconomic advancement, gender equality, spiritual solutions to environmental problems and the development of the arts as a ‘ladder’ for the elevation and upliftment of human soul.
Soon after, in late November, the Baha’is mark another joyous occasion, called the Day of The Covenant. Much as in Judaism and Christianity, the Baha’is believe in a Divinely-ordained Covenant between the Creator and the world of humanity. Through this Covenant, we are assured that we are accompanied by our Creator at all times and under all conditions through various stages of our lives, both individually and collectively. Baha’is mark this day in reflection on any of the tens of thousands of holy writings penned by Baha’u’llah and the Bab. To learn more about these and other occasions in the Baha’I calendar, visit www.bahai.org
If you would like to submit your own festival diary, please contact info@wominet.org.uk