Bahá’í Way of Life - The Community

This usually falls on March 21st.

If a divorce is still desired after that year, it is then granted, dependent on the requirements of civil law. This "year of patience," as it is known to Bahá'ís, is supervised by the local Spiritual Assembly, the local Bahá'í governing council.

The marriage ceremony consists of one sentence to be repeated by the bride and groom in front of witnesses. The couple usually add prayers and readings of their choice. They may include any aspects of local culture they wish as part of the celebration (e.g. a tiered cake, music, dancing, etc)

This avoids the practice of transporting the body for miles to be buried near a particular shrine. The inscription on the burial ring is, “I came forth from God, and return unto Him, detached from all save Him, holding fast to His Name, the Merciful, the Compassionate.”

Each month has a name, and most of the names reflect an attribute of God, e.g. Beauty, Glory, Might. The extra days are celebrated as the festival of Ayyám-i-Há which is a time of charity, hospitality and giving of gifts.

It is called this because it happens once in each nineteen-day period. The Feast always consists of three parts – spiritual, administrative and social – in that order.

This commemorates the period of time (21 April to 2 May 1863) during which Bahá’u’lláh announced his mission to his followers and is therefore a very joyous occasion. Bahá’u’lláh called this festival “The King of Festivals”.

There is no ritual for anyone of any age, including children born into a Bahá’í family. These children then have the opportunity to confirm their belief at the age of 15.

This requirement helps to preserve unity within the marriage and within the extended family. Bahá'ís understand that the family is the basic unit of society. Unless this all-important building block is healthy and unified, society itself cannot be healthy and unified. The Bahá'í writings say that married couples should strive to become "loving companions and comrades and at one with each other for time and eternity..."

This translates as “God is the Most Glorious” and is related to the word Bahá in Bahá’u’lláh. Bahá'ís sometimes greet one another by saying this, and it can also be said in prayer or meditation.