Baha'i Holidays - Feast of the Nineteenth Day of the Month of Ala

Baha'ism, which is a monotheistic religion, was founded by Baha'ul Admirers of this teaching consider its founder to be the last among the “manifestations of God” The world center of this religion is Haifa The founder of the doctrine not only “created” the rules, but also approved a special calendar created by his predecessor the Bab Among followers of the monotheistic faith, it is called the Badi calendar or the Baha'i calendar A special feature of the calendar is the unusual definition of the day: the period between two sunsets that follow each other The religious calendar has 19 months, each containing 19 days According to the basic teachings and the “instructions” of the founders of the religion, the month of Ala is the month of Fasting The month of Ala begins on March 2 according to the Gregorian calendar Translated from Arabic, the month is called “Exalted” The most important religious festival celebrated in the month of Ala, which has become special in the Bahá'í calendar, is the Feast of the Nineteenth Day of the Month of Ala Since this celebration is very important for adherents of this religion, it is not surprising that the holiday itself consists of 3 parts The first part of the celebration is spiritual Church members read scriptures and prayers In their opinion, this not only helps to turn the hearts of believers to God, but also creates a special atmosphere of spiritual unity among them The second part is devoted to administrative and organizational issues Representatives of Local Spiritual Assemblies inform parishioners about the decisions made by this local government body This information is essentially a report regarding the offerings made by the believers at the previous Feast of the Nineteenth Day of the Month of Ala The community treasurer provides a report on its financial status People who come to the meeting exchange news, discuss the situation inside and outside the community, and also make their own proposals At the same time, not only adults and teenagers, but even children take part in the discussion At the Festival, community members can not only hear representatives of national and international teaching, but also express their wishes to them Thus, the Festival becomes a unifying link between the local community and the system of administration of the Baha'i religion This promotes a closer connection between believers, and also allows the “ordinary” parishioner to take part in the collective process of renewal and development of society Having finished with administrative affairs, believers of the Baha'i religion devote the rest of the day to refreshments and friendly communication The founders of the religion recommend that parishioners use more stories in their conversations that would not only be eloquent, but also contribute to the elevation of the soul and its aspiration to God In addition to conversations at the table, the final part of the holiday may include performances by artists, music, a variety of games and other entertainment Community leaders are encouraged to include in their speeches elements of local cultural customs that most clearly characterize the culture of a particular area