Nineteen Day Feast

Bahá’ís gathered for the Feast of Kamál in Geyserville, California, in 1925.

The Nineteen Day Feasts are regular community gatherings, occurring on the first day of each month of the Bahá’í calendar (and so usually nineteen days apart from each other). Each gathering consists of a devotional, an administrative, and a social part. The devotional part of the Nineteen Day Feast can be compared to Sunday Services in Christianity or Friday Prayers in Islam.

Purpose

A Nineteen Day Feast at a Bahá'í centre in Lyon, France.

A Feast held in a home in Stratford, Canada.

Bahá’ís see the Feast in both practical and spiritual terms. It is both an administrative meeting, and at the same time it is an uplifting spiritual event, and thus it has a central purpose to the Bahá’í community life.

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.

"As to the Nineteen Day Feast, it rejoiceth mind and heart. If this feast be held in the proper fashion, the friends will, once in nineteen days, find themselves spiritually restored, and endued with a power that is not of this world."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Selection from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 91 [1]

As an administrative meeting, the Feast provides an opportunity for the community to report news, or other salient items of interest to the community, and allows for communication and consultation between the community and the Local Spiritual Assembly.

"...The main purpose of the Nineteen Day Feasts is to enable individual believers to offer any suggestion to the Local Assembly which in its turn will pass it to the National Spiritual Assembly. The Local Assembly is, therefore, the proper medium through which local Bahá’í communities can communicate with body of the national representative..."

From letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, November 18, 1933

While attending the Nineteen Day Feast is not obligatory, its importance is stressed since it allows for consultation between the individual members, the community and the Local Spiritual Assembly, as well as increasing the unity of the community.

"In regard to the Nineteen Day feasts, Shoghi Effendi is of the opinion that the believers should be impressed with the importance of attending these gatherings which, in addition to their spiritual significance, constitute a vital medium for maintaining close and continued contact between the believers themselves, and also between them and the body of their elected representatives in the local community."

Letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 22 December 1934

Structure

The Feast should, if possible, begin on the first day of the new month of the Bahá’í calendar. Attendance is considered a spiritual responsibility, but is not obligatory. The meeting can vary in style between any two communities, but each must have the same format - a devotional portion, followed by a community consultation, followed by a period of socialization. Quite often there is food served, though this is not a requirement. The different portions should not regularly be given undue weight. However, Shoghi Effendi cautioned against too many set forms, or allowing any particular cultural form to become rigid:

The further away the friends keep from any set forms, the better, for they must realize that the Cause is absolutely universal, and what might seem beautiful addition to their mode of celebrating a Feast, etc., would perhaps fall on the ears of people of another country as unpleasant sound - - and vice versa.

From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, July 20, 1946

Devotional Portion

The devotional portion is seen as a means to uplift the spiritual character of the community, and put the members in a spiritual frame of mind, for their own sakes, and so that this spiritual atmosphere may permeate their consultations. The devotional portion usually consists of the reading of prayers and excerpts from the Bahá’í writings. The arts, especially music, have been highly encouraged by Shoghi Effendi in this portion.

...the Feast is opened with devotional readings, that is to say prayers and meditations, from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb and the Master. Following this passages may be read from other Tablets, from the Holy Scriptures of previous Dispensations...

From letter of the Universal House of Justice to the Hands of the Cause of God, August 25, 1965

Administrative Portion

Bahá’ís are encouraged to consult on all important matters, and the Nineteen Day Feast provides an opportunity to do so. The members also report news, or other salient items of interest to the community. This portion is also the primary outlet of communication between the community and its Local Spiritual Assembly, and recommendations to that body are often consulted upon in the Nineteen Day Feast.

During the administrative portion Bahá’ís are asked to consult in a specific manner, termed consultation, where people put aside prejudices and personal attitudes and rather fully explore the matters under consultation.

The Feast 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. The following guidance is given to Bahá’í Communities should a non-Bahá’í attend.

"The rule that only Bahá’ís may take part in Nineteen Day Feasts is not a new one, indeed it was often reiterated by the beloved Guardian. However, when a non-Bahá’í does appear at a Feast he should not be asked to leave; rather the Assembly should omit the consultative part of the Feast, and the non-Bahá’í should be made welcome. Of course, if the non-Bahá’í is well known to the Bahá’ís and no hurt feelings would be caused, he might be asked to retire during the consultative part. In general, however, it is much better to avoid such problems where possible, and you seem to have taken the wisest course during your friends' last visit by taking them out for the evening, so avoiding the problem.

"During the period of consultation the Bahá’ís should be able to enjoy perfect freedom to express their views on the work of the Cause, unembarrassed by the feeling that all they are saying is being heard by someone who has not accepted Bahá’u’lláh and who might, thereby, gain a very distorted picture of the Faith. It would also be very embarrassing for any sensitive non-Bahá’í to find himself plunged into the midst of a discussion of the detailed affairs of the Bahá’í Community of which he is not a part."'

From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, March 24, 1970

Social Portion

The social portion of the feast is normally accompanied by some refreshments although refreshments can be served at any point. It is the responsibility of the host to provide and personally serve something, even if this simply consists of water.

At some point in the Feast (presumably the social or administrative portion), "uplifting talks" were also encouraged to be given.

Responsibilities

Spiritual Assembly

It is the responsibility of Local Spiritual Assemblies to ensure that the Nineteen Day Feast is held. The Local Spiritual Assembly also has the responsibility of deciding which language(s) should be used for the conduct of the Feast.

Individual

Attendance at the Nineteen Day Feast is not obligatory, but is considered a duty and a privilege for Bahá’ís since it is where they can enter into consultation with the rest of the community.

"Attendance at Nineteen Day Feasts is not Obligatory but very important, and every believer should consider it a duty and a privilege to be present on such occasions."

From letter written on behalf of The Guardian to an individual believer, December 15, 1947

Parallels

Christianity

The Nineteen Day Feast is described by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as "The Lord's Supper", likening it to the Last Supper in Christianity. In this sense, participation at Feast can be seen as slightly analogous to the Christian practice of Communion, though only in the sense that it should provide fellowship and connection between the faithful, God, and each other. This communal sharing of commitment and memory is crucial to both Christian communion, and to the Bahá’í Feast.

"Make ye an effort in every meeting that the Lord's Supper may become realized and the heavenly food descend. This heavenly food is knowledge, understanding, faith, assurance, love, affinity, kindness, purity of purpose, attraction of hearts and the union of souls ... When the meeting is conducted after this manner, then ‘Abdu’l-Bahá also is present in heart and soul, though His body may not be with you."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Bahá’í World Faith, pp. 407-408 [2]

"And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me."

King James Bible, Luke 22:19

Dates

Arabic	English	Date
Bahá’	Splendour	21 March
Jalál	Glory	9 April
Jamál	Beauty	28 April
‘Aẓamat	Grandeur	17 May
Núr	Light	5 June
Raḥmat	Mercy	24 June
Kalimát	Words	13 July
Kamál	Perfection	1 August
Asmá’	Names	20 August
‘Izzat	Might	8 September
Mashíyyat	Will	27 September
‘Ilm	Knowledge	16 October
Qudrat	Power	4 November
Qawl	Speech	23 November
Masá’il	Questions	12 December
Sharaf	Honour	31 December
Sulṭán	Sovereignty	19 January
Mulk	Dominion	7 February
Ayyám-i-Há’	Intercalary Days	26 February
‘Alá’	Loftiness	2 March

See also

• Administration
• Universal House of Justice

References

• "Nineteen Day Feast". 2008-08-20. Retrieved 2008-08-20.
• ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (1978). Selections From the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Hardcover ed.). Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá’í Publishing Trust. ISBN 0-85398-081-0.

• ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (1976). Bahá’í World Faith—Selected Writings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (‘Abdu’l-Bahá's Section Only). Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, USA. ISBN 0-87743-043-8.

• National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States (1998). Developing Distinctive Bahá’í Communities: Guidelines for Spiritual Assemblies. Office of Assembly Development, Evanston, Illinois, USA.

• Effendi, Shoghi (1974). Bahá’í Administration. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá’í Publishing Trust. ISBN 0-87743-166-3.

• The Holy Bible: 1611 Edition (Thos. Nelson, 1993) ISBN 0-8407-0028-8.