The Origins and Practices of Holidays: The Declaration of the Báb

by Attention: This post is over 3 years old and the information may be out of date.Attention: This post is over 3 years old and the information may be out of date.

The Declaration of the Báb - May 23, 2019

On May 23, Baha’i's around the world will celebrate the holiday known as the Declaration of the Báb. It commemorates when the Báb announced in 1844 that he was the new messenger of God. The holiday begins two hours and eleven minutes after sunset on May 22, which is the exact time the Báb made his declaration.

The Báb was born Siyyid Ali-Muhammad on October 20, 1918, in Shiraz, Iran. He was the founder of Bábism, and one of the central figures of the Bahá'í Faith. In 1844, at the age of twenty-four, he claimed to be a messenger of God and took the name “Báb,” which means “gate” or “door” in Arabic to emphasize his role as the portal through which the revelation of God would enter. He served as a herald for Bahá’u’lláh, who is the central prophet of the Baha’i faith.

Baha’is celebrate the Declaration of the Báb by gathering together and sharing prayers, stories, and reflections. It is one of the nine holy days in the Bahá'í Faith which means that work and school are suspended. 

Learn more with the books below. 

Bābism

Baháʼí Prayers

The Baha'i Faith

If there's a particular celebration you or someone you know participates in that we missed, let us know by leaving a comment on this post. Or, if you think we got something wrong, please also comment and let us know. We try to be as accurate as possible, but if there's a mistake, we want to correct it.
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