Melting Snow

Festival of Ridvan

Friday, March 30, 2018

The "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise"  prompt for Day 1564
Do you celebrate Easter? Passover? Share us with some of your favorite times. If you don't celebrate do you believe it is Bid'ah? (religious innovation) and ignore it.

The King of Festivals

I celebrate the Festival of Ridvan, or The King of Festivals, which begins after sunset on April 21 and ends at sunset of May 2. In 1863, in a garden on an island outside of Baghdad, Baha'u'llah declared his mission to his family and some of his followers. Every year, Baha'is across the planet celebrate Baha'u'llah's declaration. The first, ninth, and twelfth days are Holy Days, during which Baha'is (if possible) do not work.

On First Day of Ridvan 1863, Baha'u'llah along with his sons, and several of others crossed the Tigris river to a beautiful island in the middle of the river. On the island was a garden with roses and nightingales, this garden became known as the Garden of Ridvan, which means the Garden of Paradise.

On the Ninth Day of Ridvan, Baha'u'llah celebrated the birth of a new faith. and the rest of Baha'u'llah's family joined Him. On the Twelfth Day of Ridvan, Baha'u'llah, his family, and those who were with him left the island. They were escorted by Ottoman troops to Constantinople. After Constantinople, Baha'u'llah was eventually exiled to Akka in the Holy Land.