Happy new year! My congratulations to all my Baha’i readers for surviving another Fast.
Naw-ruz was probably my favorite Baha’i holiday. I was always relieved the fasting was over. It wasn’t just the going hungry and thirsty. It was the waking up before sunrise, and the having to give up snacking (something I’m very fond of).
One thing about Naw-ruz though… It seems like non-Baha’is who celebrate it have a lot more going on than the Baha’is do. It’s not just the “Seven S’s” table, which I never saw in my 9 Naw-ruzes as a Baha’i, even at Persian homes. Apparently Iranians also have this jolly fellow to spread Naw-ruz cheer. Not quite an Ayyam-i-Ha Camel, but hey. And the best part about non-Baha’i Naw-ruz is, you jump over fire.
Imagine how lively Baha’i potlucks would be with all that stuff going on at the Center. LSA Social Committees, are you taking notes?
Like this:
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Thanks Jonah! Indeed we generally don’t jump over fires – that is done in Iran on Chaharshanbe Souri, the Wednesday before Naw Ruz :-)
Our Russian Orthodox Christian friends are fasting for 40 days before Easter (and I believe another week or so after). In a way this appears more challenging since it is longer and they do not eat any animal-derived food including eggs, milk etc. at any time during this period. Do you know what the original Catholic fasting rules are and if and how these have become different from Orthodox rules?
Greetings, Martijn
Dude, where are you?!