So Bahá'ís do not celebrate Christmas amongst themselves, but they will happily celebrate Christmas with people who are not Bahá'ís. Get in touch with the Baha’is in your community. Posted on December 15, 2014 by Kamelia. This question is a bit of a tricky one to answer because Christmas means different things to different people. As a community, Baha’is are encouraged to emphasize celebrating Baha’i Holy Days and discontinue celebrating other religious Holy Days —because, otherwise, why would we have Baha’i Holy Days? As such it has its own calendar and its own holy days. Bahá'ís celebrate New Year's Day on March 21, the vernal equinox. The confusion here, I think, lies more in the question itself than in the answer. The deepest wisdom which the sages have uttered, the profoundest learning which any mind hath unfolded, the arts which the ablest hands have produced, the influence exerted by the most potent of rulers, are but manifestations of the quickening power released by His transcendent, His all-pervasive, and resplendent Spirit. Nevertheless, they do not celebrate Christmas amongst themselves. In a Bahá'í family, for example, where the parents and children are Bahá'ís, they do not usually buy one another Christmas presents. I love seeing the lights and decorations, although I usually do not put up any myself. While the principle of progressive revelation means that Baha’is believe in the divine origin of the other world religions (and consequently, the significance of each of their Holy Days), the Baha’i Faith is an independent religion with its own Holy Days. Baha’is do not, however, celebrate Christmas within their communities as one of the Baha’i Holy Days. One could be to pack meals and deliver them to the homes of elderly neighbors. That being said, however, Baha’is are free to participate in the celebrations observed by their friends and family who adhere to other religions. I. Iconodule. I have been asked by a few friends if I celebrate Christmas. With the exception of New Year, Bahá'í holidays commemorate major events in the lives of the founders of the Bahá'í Faith. Based on the understanding of Christmas as a commemoration of the birth of Christ, the day is clearly of significance to Baha’is, who believe that Christ was a Manifestation of God. Learn how your Jewish friends celebrate Hanukkah, and light a Menorah for each of the eight days. Baha’is do not, however, celebrate Christmas within their communities as one of the Baha’i Holy Days. You have explained that as a result of an email discussion group there is a differing of opinions whether Baha’is are permitted to celebrate Christmas, and you have expressed your understanding that while there is no harm in sharing the festivities with friends, the " Baha’is themselves should not be putting up Christmas trees, exchanging gifts, etc." RELATED: Family Meals: A Space to Bond, Reconnect, and Heal. The following suggestions could be adapted for many holy days and faith traditions — not just Christmas. But if I want to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, I think the best way to do this is to watch a documentary that tells the story of the courageous life of Jesus Christ himself, to learn of his miracles and sacrifices. Having a conversation and making a decision as a family builds unity and gives room for all to contribute creatively. I read that one Baha’i family uses this time to bake together, and while they bake, they consult on various service ideas for the upcoming calendar year. I often find it hard to focus on the spiritual aspects of Christmas because of the heavy cultural significance it has acquired. See more ideas about crafts, bahai children, bahai faith. Australian Baha’is join with our family, friends and neighbours in their celebration of Christmas. I send "Happy Holi" cards to my Indian friends and "Happy Solstice" cards to my Wiccan friends. Others pass on participating in Christmas gift exchanges with family and instead find ways they could collectively be of service to their community. Through Him the leper recovered from the leprosy of perversity and ignorance. Ayyám-i-Há--the Intercalary Days--are those four (five in leap year) … Another way to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas is to focus on the concept of service and giving. Through His power, born of Almighty God, the eyes of the blind were opened, and the soul of the sinner sanctified… We bear witness that through the power of the Word of God every leper was cleansed, every sickness was healed, every human infirmity was banished. Please choose 1 or 2 prayers[...], Dear Friends, We are scheduling Zoom-based devotional meetings in our home every Thursday. As a community, Baha’is are encouraged to emphasize celebrating Baha’i Holy Days and discontinue celebrating other religious Holy Days —because, otherwise, why would we have Baha’i Holy Days? Many of us find joy and comfort in decorations and festive lights throughout the year — and they’re especially lively during the dead of winter. Compare Bahai with Christianity, Islam, and … I love his parents to bits and have loved joining in on their Ukrainian-influenced Roman Catholic Christmas celebrations the past couple of years that we’ve been together (the Saskatchewan winters, not so much!). Another Baha’i family hosts a special dinner to invite friends who did not receive an invitation to Christmas dinner. Sort of. Baha’is do not, however, celebrate Christmas within their communities as one of the Baha’i Holy Days. Click here to join. Yes. It depends. How can they best reach you? The Festival of Ayyam-i-Ha lasts from Feb. 26 until March 1. Celebrate Diwali in your home with your Hindu friends, or offer to cook dinner for your Muslim friends during the holy fasting month of Ramadan. Christmas: Celebrate the season outside the box. Jesus instructed ' communion ' as found at Luke 22:19 the annual observance of Jesus' day … We’d exchange very basic gifts around a decorated, well-lit, plastic Christmas tree. Every year after my grandma attended mass, we gathered at a long grouping of tables covered in Christmas crackers and decorations, put on colorful paper crowns, and enjoyed cold cuts, salads, and a BBQ on the back patio by the pool, in our swimsuits, on a hot Australian Christmas Day. He it is Who purified the world. However, the global governing body of the Baha’i community, the Universal House of Justice, wrote in a 1989 letter to a Baha’i: … there is no harm in Baha’is sharing Christmas with Christian relatives or friends. Celebrating Christmas, as a Baha'i, is a very personal matter. Baha’is revere Jesus as a Manifestation of God , but we have our own holy days, just as Jews have theirs, Muslims have theirs, Christians have theirs, and so forth. The majority of believers therefore do not necessarily feel that they … For Bahá'ís, New Year is preceeded by the Nineteen Day Fast, a time of spiritual introspection. Check your email for the latest from BahaiTeachings.org. Whereas, Christmas presents are given at Christmas which is based on: lies. There is, of course, no record of the birth of Jesus except in the Bible (Gospels), and the two Gospels which mention Jesus's birth at all do not mention what time of year it was. Don’t get me wrong. Blessed, indeed, are those who recognize the immense gift of His divine teachings. The Baha'i Faith is a religion which exists independently of all other religions. Although the Bahá'í writings use a masculine pronoun to refer to God, this is to suit the language in which they were originally written. I think that we can all agree that while Christmas may be, essentially, a Christian holiday, the celebration of Christmas has expanded well beyond the boundaries of Christianity. I don’t celebrate Christmas for my own self, although I join family and friends in their celebrations. Yes, just not in relation to each other. Another could be to offer a hand at the local shelter for their annual Christmas feast. A Christmas message from the Australian Baha’i Community appeared in the Manly Daily newspaper prior to Christmas. In my childhood and youth in Australia, we celebrated Christmas with my father’s side of the family, who carry strong Irish Catholic traditions. Baha'i, Wiccan students may worship differently but enjoy the the same. The Baha’i Faith is dedicated to bringing about the unification of humankind and an enduring world peace. For a number of years the UK’s prime minister has issued a statement of celebration for Naw-Rúz. But this should not be surprising, since once can find examples of truthful and beneficial teaching in many of the other world religions. Through Him, the unchaste and wayward were healed. There are so many other important religious holy days to commemorate during the Christmas period that we can nurture and learn from. So in no particular order, here are 16 Baha'i Blog posts relating to Christianity in some way: 1. I turned to Facebook to see how other Baha’i families celebrate this festive season while also strengthening their own traditions as a family. Love lights a fla, Strive ye with all your hearts, raise up your voic, How can faith-based individuals and organizations, My hope for you is that you will ever avoid tyrann, As we suffer these misfortunes we must remember th, Family Meals: A Space to Bond, Reconnect, and Heal, Finding Beacons of Hope in Monuments and Public Art. For the first time in both our lives, no external circumstances or forces are influencing either of us to celebrate Christmas. By sacrificing Himself, however, a fresh capacity was infused into all created things. So how do Baha’is celebrate the true meaning of Christmas while still honoring their Baha’i beliefs? Baha'i Holidays and Festivals There are nine annual Bahá'í holy days plus an annual fast. Religious traditions and holy days compatible with Christianity calendars is also one of the Baha ' year! 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