The next couple of days are one of my favourite in the Baha'i calendar. The Baha'i year has 19 months, each month consists of 19 days. If we add those numbers up, we do not get 365 but 361 days. What happens with the other 4 (5 if we consider years with 366 days)? The Baha'i calendar is not faulty...the remaining days are days of giving and love called the days of Ayyam-i-Ha!
What happens during those days? Well, Baha'is visit and share with family and friends, do acts of charity, give presents and make and extra effort to make others happy. These days remind us of God's infinite generosity to all alike and encourage us to overcome the barriers that impede us from being detached from material things and turn our faces unto God. Now, these days are the LAST before the Fasting period (will blog about this when the time comes). Ayyam-i-Ha starts on the 25th of February and end the 1st of March.
I remember when I was little, every day of Ayyam-i-Ha arriving home from school was a thrill! I would rush to my room and look under my pillow for a small gift from my parents. It was great! As I grew of course, the gifts became less important but new opportunities arose. With friends from the community we would visit older people's homes and planned other activities that would not only uplift our own spirits but could also bring joy to the hearts of others.
So now I am thinking about what to do this year...party? secret gifts? charity? all of the above? Perhaps...