Naw Ruz 169
Last Wednesday was a special day at our school. It was the spring equinox, which also marks the Bahá'í New Year. Now, as our school IS called Rowhani Bahá'í School, it means we also celebrate Bahá'í Holy Days here. FUN! Back in the days, new year used to be celebrated in March. It wasn't until as late as 1582 when new year was moved by the Pope Gregory XIII to January 1st. Interestingly, the names of the months still carry this heritage of the old days. Think of October. Octo - 8, eight month of the year. November - novem is latin for nine. December - 10th month of the year. For Bahá'ís, the time of new year is always a very happy time, because it also means the end of a 19-day period of fasting - a time when we abstain from eating and drinking between sunrise and sunrise. It's a time when we remind our physical side that the spirit is the boss. We call the new year Naw Ruz, which means a new day. What a joyous day it wa...