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.

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"it benefits us to be thoughtful, not of the glory of our minds, but rather, above all else, of the glory of God."
- Johannes Kepler

Thousands of communities have already voted for the Local Spiirtual Assembly in their areas... These Assemblies have nine adult members and are responsible for local Baha'i issues. The voting occurs by secret ballot and in an attitude of prayer. Members of the Assembly have a one year period service which ends with the next election.

April 21st is also Ridwan and is a Holy Day commemorating the declaration of Baha'u'llah to be the One Whom God would make manifest in an island garden of the Tigris River just outside Bagdad in 1863. April 21st is also the first of three Ridwan celebrations which include the 1st, 9th and 12th days of Ridwan.

- Art

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"it benefits us to be thoughtful, not of the glory of our minds, but rather, above all else, of the glory of God."
- Johannes Kepler