7 Jamal 166 B.E. (Baha'i Calendar)
Soundtrack in my head: Lush, "Sweetness and Light"

Ridvan, for you non-Baha'i readers out there, marks the twelve days that Baha'u'llah spent in a garden outside of Baghdad right before he was exiled to Constantinople. It was there that he declared his mission to his followers. It is considered the holiest of holidays for Baha'is. It started on 21 April and went until yesterday, 2 May.

While Ridvan is the holiest of Baha'i holidays, it often does not bring as much celebration as Naw Ruz, the Baha'i New Year, but the Universal House of Justice has been trying to get the Baha'is to make Ridvan the bigger celebration.

I went to the celebrations marking the first and twelfth days of Ridvan. (There was also a celebration on the ninth day as well, and a feast marking the first day of the Baha'i month of Jamal.)  On the first day we had some readings followed by the election of the Local Spiritual Assembly. Baha'i governing bodies are elected on this day, and so voting in such an election is considered to be a sacred rite. This was followed by refreshments and socializing.

The twelfth day was organized differently. At the Baha'i Center the celebration included entertainment of all kinds. There were several beautiful musical interpretations of various Baha'i prayers, a couple different ethnic dances, more musical entertainment, and even a little bit of comedy. In between, there was time for socializing and a wonderful spread of food. At the end, they even had board games and I participated in a rather raucous game of Taboo. The emphasis was on trying to build fellowship and community, and I think they succeeded nicely.

This was my second Ridvan as a Baha'i. I tried, albeit not hard enough, to try to connect with the spirit of the moment. It was a challenge, and that has probably everything to do with being raised Christian in a Christian-dominated country. It might have also helped had I been able to take off work on the first, and ninth days of the festival.  The world still stops on the silent night of Christmas Eve for me. I had to work throughout most of Ridvan, so the days didn't seem as special. I'm sure there are ways I could make it more special, and as I grow spiritually as a Baha'i, I'm sure I will find a way to do so.