The Feast of Ridwan (April 21st-May 2nd) (ritual, paradise, attend)

[arthra]

After Naw-Ruz comes the Feast of Ridwan pronounced "Riz-wan" and meaning "Paradise" . It's actually three Holy Days including April 21st the First Day of Ridwan, the Ninth Day of Ridwan April 29th and the Twelfth Day of Ridwan May 2nd. All these Holy Days are days where work and school attendance is suspended.

Generally these days (from April 21st to May 2nd, 1863) commemorate the Announcement of Baha'u'llah that He was Promised One God's Messenger in an island of the Tigris River outside Baghdad where roses were in abundance and called the Ridwan Garden. Baha'u'llah spent the twelve days in the Garden en route to Istanbul.

Baha'u'llah was in exile in Bagdad and was summoned by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire to Constantinople (Istanbul), but instead of leaving Bagdad like a prisoner or under some edict of the Sultan He was leaving in triumph and this was after His announcement that He was the One promised by the Bab.

Baha'is observe the First Day of Ridwan (April 21st) as a day to elect their governing bodies the Local Spiritual Assemblies through the world. These elections are held annually and in prayer by all the believers in a given community. The Local Spiritual Assembly looks after Baha'i affairs in the locality.