Holiday Watch

Birth of the Bab: Beginning Wednesday evening, Baha’is celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Siyyid Ali Muhammad, prophet and forerunner to Baha’u’llah, founder of the Baha’i faith. Born Oct. 20, 1820, in Shiraz, Persia (now Iran), he would later take the tile Bab, meaning gate in Persian, announcing that he was a prophet whose mission was to prepare the world for the appearance of another who would fulfill the promises of previous religions.

The birth of the Bab is a day on which Baha’is suspend work. It is celebrated locally with prayers, readings from sacred scriptures and music. In Iran, Baha’i followers are persecuted, even executed, and are not free to worship publicly.