SHREWSBURY – On Feb. 29, the local Bahá’í community gathered at Shrewsbury Public Library to celebrate Ayyám-i-Há.
The Bahá’í calendar features 19 19-day months, totaling 361 days. To catch up to the 365-day calendar, Bahá’ís hold a four-day — or five-day during a leap year — celebration called Ayyám-i-Há, which is observed at the end of February. Bahá’ís often celebrate with parties, gift-giving and community service.
The Bahá’í faith originated in 19th-century Iran and has roughly 5 million members worldwide. According to the Bahá’í faith’s official website, the religion focuses on two “Divine Messengers,” Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. Between 1817 and 1892, Bahá’u’lláh — the “promised one foretold by the Báb and all of the Divine Messengers” — delivered a new revelation from God to humanity. In his writings, the website reads, “He outlined a framework for the development of a global civilization which takes into account both the spiritual and material dimensions of human life.” For His teachings on the oneness of humanity, the unity of religions, and the oneness of God, Bahá’u’lláh endured 40 years of imprisonment, torture, and exile.
“The purpose of Ayyám-iHá – it’s really a time for people to get together with their community, to do community service, acts of charity, help one another, and also give gifts and generally celebrate,” Katherine Wilson told the Community Advocate.
Wilson, alongside her husband, Kenith Wilson, organized a celebration at the Shrewsbury Public Library. Kenith Wilson estimated there are roughly 20 Bahá’ís in Shrewsbury, with more followers in nearby towns.
This year, Ayyám-i-Há was celebrated from sunset on Feb. 25 to sunset on Feb. 29. The celebration at Shrewsbury Public Library focused on one central question: What makes our community vibrant? Each of the roughly 30 attendees decorated a square that reflected what they loved about the Shrewsbury community. By the end of the event, the group had made a colorful quilt.
According to Katherine Wilson, although the celebration focused on Ayyám-i-Há, the entire community was invited, and people from different religious backgrounds participated.
“We wanted to celebrate with the broader Shrewsbury community,” she said.
