And soon will be Ayyam-i-Ha!

[arthra]

Baha'is will be observing five days of Ayyam-i-Ha this year! From sunset February 25th to sunset March 1st!

A time of fun, community, sharing and service to others...

Bahá'u'lláh's own instructions from the Kitáb-i-Aqdas:

"Let the days in excess of the months be placed before the month of fasting. We have ordained that these, amid all days and nights, shall be the manifestations of the letter Há, and thus they have not been bounded by the limits of the year and its months. It behoveth the people of Bahá, throughout these days, to provide good cheer for themselves, their kindred and, beyond them, the poor and needy, and with joy and exultation to hail and glorify their Lord, to sing His praise and magnify His Name, and when they end--these days of giving that precede the season of restraint--let them enter upon the Fast."

(p. 25)

"The letter 'Há' has been given several spiritual meanings in the Holy Writings, among which is as a symbol of the Essence of God.

(Note #28, p. 178)

EXTRACT Songs from 41 conference - YouTube
Happy Ayyam-I-Ha song - Elika Mahony - YouTube
"We Are Flowers of One Garden" song - YouTube

 

[arthra]

‘Days outside of time’ festival reveres eternal essence of God

February 25, 2011
Baha'is celebrating Ayyam-i-Ha

From sunset Feb. 25 to sunset March 1, Baha’is will be exchanging gifts, getting together with friends and family, and engaging in acts of charity – activities that characterize the festival of Ayyam-i-Ha.

The festival comes toward the end of the Baha’i year, which is divided into 19 months of 19 days each. These “intercalary” days, between the 18th and 19th months of the Baha’i calendar, are necessary to align the calendar with the 365-day Gregorian solar calendar.
Ayyam-i-Ha means “Days of Ha.” “Ha” has several meanings in Arabic, including reference to God or the “Essence of God.” Baha’is celebrate the sacred days of Ayyam-i-Ha through acts of love, fellowship, unity, charity and goodwill.
The intercalary days of Ayyami-i-Ha “stand apart from the ordinary cycle of weeks and months and the human measure of time,” says Karla Jamir, a Baha’i in Virginia. “Thus Ayyam-i-Ha can be thought of as days outside of time, days that symbolize eternity, infinity and the mystery and unknowable Essence of God Himself.”
Baha’u’llah has said of Ayyam-i-Ha: “It behoveth the people of Baha, throughout these days, to provide good cheer for themselves, their kindred and, beyond them, the poor and needy, and with joy and exultation to hail and glorify their Lord, to sing His praise and magnify His Name.”
Appropriately, Ayyam-i-Ha spiritually sets the stage for the annual Baha’i Fast, which goes from March 2 to March 20. Naw-Ruz, the Baha’i new year, begins on March 21, the first day of spring.

?Days outside of time? festival reveres eternal essence of God – Bahai Faith | Baha'i Faith | United States Official Website

 

[arthra]

Forwarded Newsletter from Planet Baha'i

Editor's Notes

Ayyám-i-Há is fast approaching, so we wanted to send one of our rather infrequent newsletters to wish all of our friends out there joy and happiness during this very special celebration.
As you know, we have been building up our new publishing business, One Voice Press, over the past year. If you haven't seen our website, please visit us at http://www.onevoicepress.com. Now is an excellent time to do so, because we happen to be holding our first annual Ayyám-i-Há sale right now. All our books are available at discount. Enough said.
Below you'll find a couple of our Ayyám-i-Há articles from past years to help you start your celebrations. And of course that's just the tip of the iceberg, since we have ten years of articles online. Have fun!

Feature Articles

How Not To Spend Ayyám-i-Há

For Bahá'ís Ayyám-i-Há is a time of joy and celebration, but like any other time of the year things can still go a bit awry. Then again, what would life be without a little adventure?

http://www.planetbahai.org/cgi-bin/articles.pl?article=346

Happy Ayyám-i-Há!

Ayyám-i-Há is a special time for Bahá'ís, a season of love, charity and gift-giving. It's especially a time for families to come together. But who are our "family"? Just our relatives? Our brothers and sisters in faith? The poor? Everyone around the world? Yes!

http://www.planetbahai.org/cgi-bin/articles.pl?article=94

​

Book Reviews

Legacy of Courage: The Life of Ola Pawlowska

The life of Ola Pawlowska, a Polish woman who arose to fulfill one of the goals of Shoghi Effendi's "Ten Year Crusade" is told by her daughter in Legacy of Courage. But this book is more than just biography. It's inspiration!

http://www.planetbahai.org/cgi-bin/reviews.pl?review=16

Pathways to Transformation

The other day I came across a Bahá'í book which after an hour or so of perusing I realised I had a gem of usefulness in my hands. For years I had been looking for a replacement for Esselmont's Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era.

http://www.planetbahai.org/cgi-bin/reviews.pl?review=8

​

Newsletter Information

We hope you find this newsletter useful and enjoyable. Please share it with your friends and family.
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view past issues of our newsletter, please visit your Planet Baha'i Member Center.

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, please let us know. Thank you for joining us. See you next time!
Dale E. Lehman
Kathleen K. Lehman
Your Hosts at Planet Baha'i
http://www.planetbahai.org
(c) 2012 Dale E. Lehman and Kathleen K. Lehman

 

[arthra]

An Ayyam-i-Ha Vimeo!

Wooha it's Ayyam-i-Ha! on Vimeo

 

[arthra]

Read the article:

Celebrating Ayyam-i-Ha: A Holiday You Haven't Heard Of


Homa Sabet Tavangar: Celebrating Ayyam-i-Ha: A Holiday You Haven't Heard Of

 

[arthra]

Teaching About Ayyam-i-Ha | Enable Me To Grow

 

[radarmark]

Are there a lot of Bahai social sites like this? How do I find them? Could you PM some leads to me?

Sorry for the list of Books, but alternative Bibles or alternative translations (like the Shonfield or the Jesus Seminar versions) intrigue me.

 

[arthra]

Are there a lot of Bahai social sites like this? How do I find them? Could you PM some leads to me?

Sorry for the list of Books, but alternative Bibles or alternative translations (like the Shonfield or the Jesus Seminar versions) intrigue me.

Wow.. I just find them through Googling but I'll post some here later...

 

[BruceDLimber]

[to a third party] Are there a lot of Bahai social sites like this? How do I find them? Could you PM some leads to me?

One of the best Baha'i sites around is Planet Baha'i, which you can find here:

http://www.planetbahai.org

It's discussion area has a great mix of Baha'is and others!

And I wish you good hunting.

Bruce

 

[radarmark]

Thanks!!!!!! As you find good sites for the non-Bahai to learn, just pivate message me (I would really appreciate the help)!