The 12 Day Festival of Ridvan
2012: Sunset April 20, 2012 – Sunset May 2, 2012
Important Days: April 21 (First), April 29 (Ninth), May 2 (Twelfth)
Picture of the Baha'i Gardens in Haifa, Israel
For those of the Baha’i Faith, the 12 day Festival of Ridvan (pronounced REZ-vahn) is among the holiest of occasions on the Baha’i calendar. Beginning 32 days after the Baha’i New Year (known as Nowrooz), Ridvan starts around April 20th and celebrates the proclamation by Baha’u'llah, the Founder of the Baha’i Faith, of His Prophethood to his companions and family prior to his banishment to Istanbul from Baghdad. The first, ninth, and twelfth days are considered especially holy, in which no work should be performed. Instead, the local Baha’i community will gather for prayer, music, reading of Baha’i writings, and to elect members for positions in the assembly.
What is Baha’i?
Baha’i is considered by its followers to be the fourth Abrahamic religion behind Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, yet far less is known about it to the general public, particularly in the West, than the other three. With more than 5 million followers, Baha’i Faith can be found in almost every country around the world and is presently among the fastest growing religions.
Baha’I Faith was founded by a Persian nobleman named Bahá’u’lláh in the middle of the 18th century in Tehran, Iran. He left his life of royal comforts in order to preach humanity and unity to the people, proclaiming he was an independent messenger from God, but whose life and messages are similar to prophets who came before him such as Jesus, Muhammad, and Buddha. Bahá’u’lláh believed that there was only one God, and a single human race, and that it was time for humanity to come together as one under a peaceful society.
The Story of Ridvan
The Garden of Ridvan in Baghdad, Iraq, site where Bahá'u'lláh went for 12 Days to prepare for His exile to Istanbul, Turkey
The story behind the 12 day Festival of Ridvan begins with the imprisonment of Bahá’u’lláh. After the Ba’b, the leader of Babism (religious movement stemming from Shi’a Islam followed by Bahá’u’lláh and many others) was executed by the Persian Shah in the 19th century, many Babis were imprisoned, including Bahá’u’lláh. While in prison, Bahá’u’lláh had a vision that called him to lead his followers, but kept this to himself until the time was right. Upon being released from prison, Bahá’u’lláh, his family, and several followers were given a month’s time to leave Tehran for Baghdad where they were being exiled by the Shah in an attempt to separate Bahá’u’lláh from the majority of his followers. However, Bahá’u’lláh and his followers were well received in Baghdad and the religion continued to grow, troubling the Shah back in Tehran, who would then conspire with the rulers of the Ottoman Empire to have Bahá’u’lláh exiled once more to Istanbul. Once word had gotten out about the impending exile, Bahá’u’lláh’s followers came to see him for the last time. This made it very difficult for him to prepare for the long journey, so he decided to take a few companions, his two oldest sons, and camp in a beautiful garden along the Tigris river for 12 days, thus marking the first 12 days of Ridvan. While there, Bahá’u’lláh announced publically to all present that he was the Promised One of all major religions, something he had known since His visions while imprisoned in Tehran but had not revealed to anyone, officially breaking from Babism and creating a new religion called Baha’I. The first, ninth, and twelfth days are important to the festival as they mark the days when he first arrived to the garden (first day), when his family came to visit him once the river finally receded and allowed for safe passage (ninth day), and the final day on which he left the garden and started his journey to Istanbul in present day Turkey (twelfth day).
Today is another Friday installment of a new series for the Global Voice Blog. At the end of each week we will be posting a Cultural Quick Tip to promote broader thinking on the company and individual levels. These tips, along with their accompanying action steps, are meant to encourage everyone to work more effectively in a diverse workplace.
