Happy AYYAM-i-HA - "Days Outside of Time"!

Happy/Feliz Ayyam-i-Ha!

Ayyam-i-Ha a time of giving and hospitality

Baha'is celebrate the festival of Ayyam-i-Ha each year from sunset on Feb. 25 to sunset of March 1 as a preparation for the Fast, which begins March 2 and ends March 20. During Ayyam-i-Ha, members of the Faith perform acts of charity, give gifts to friends and family, and attend social gatherings.

Ayyam-i-ha o Días Intercalares (26 de febrero al 10 de marzo): Ayyam-i-ha, o "Días de Ha", se dedican a la preparación espiritual para el Ayuno, e incluyen celebraciones, hospitalidad, caridad y presentación de regalos. Se celebran los cuatro días (cinco en años bisiestos) antes del último mes del año bahá'í.

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."

Happy AYYAM-i-HA, everyone! "Days Outside of Time" Most religions have a time of gift giving, for Christians, Christmas, for the Jews, Hanukkah, and for the Baha'is Ayyam-i-Ha. The Ayyám-i-Há holiday lasts from February 25 to March 1st every year. The Bahá'í calendar of 19 months of 19 days needs 4 days (5 in leap years) to equal a solar year. http://www.lvbahai.org/calendar_and_holy_days.htm Ayyám-i-Há is intended partly as spiritual preparation for the Baha'i Fast (which starts 1. March every year and lasts 19 days - no eat or drink from sunrise to sunset), a way of fostering the detachment from material things necessary for the Fast. Ayyám-i-Há means the "Days of Há." "Há" is an Arabic letter. Both Bahá'u'lláh and the Báb followed the Arabic tradition of assigning numerical values to letters, and of giving spiritual meanings to both. The numerical value of "Há" is 5, the maximum number of Ayyam-i-Ha days.

http://www.geocities.com/cwynne19/feast/ha/ayyamiha05.html