The Nineteen Day Feasts are regular community gatherings, occurring on the first day of each month of the Bahá’í calendar (and so most often nineteen days apart from each other). The Nineteen Day Feast serves to increase the unity of the community, and spiritually uplift the community members by having a devotional program, where readings and prayers from the Bahá’í holy writings are shared, and a social program where community members can socialize. The third part of a Feast is the administrative portion, which is a critical arena for democratic expression within a Bahá’í Community. Therefore, the administrative portion is limited to Bahá’ís. Bahá’ís from other communities may freely attend, though they may not vote on any recommendations that the community may put forward as recommendations to the Local Spiritual Assembly. Attendance at the Nineteen Day Feast is not obligatory, but is considered and a duty and a privilege for Bahá’ís since it is where they can enter into consultation with the rest of the community.
