Commencing April 21, Canadian Baha’is will celebrate their faith’s “Most Great Festival”, the Festival of Ridván. The festival covers a twelve-day period three days of which are considered holy days: the first (April 21), ninth (April 29), and twelfth day (May 2). On these three days Baha’is hold gatherings that include prayers, music, and other celebratory activities that tend to reflect the cultures and countries where they take place.
The Festival of Ridván marks the anniversary when Baha’u’llah, in 1863, revealed that He was the Promised One long awaited for centuries by the followers of diverse faiths in a continuing process of divine revelation. Ten years prior to His declaration, Baha’u’llah and His family had been exiled from Persia to Baghdad, Iraq, by the Persian government due to His association with the Babi movement that formed the beginnings of the Baha’i Faith. After living a decade in Iraq, the people’s admiration and respect for Baha’u’llah grew to the point that the Persian government insisted that the Ottoman government banish Him even further away from Persia. The Ottoman government eventually agreed and exiled Baha’u’llah and His family to Constantinople.
Before leaving Iraq, Baha’u’llah’s companions camped with Him in a garden on the banks of the Tigris River for twelve days, cherishing what would be, for many of them, their last days in His presence. The garden where Baha’u’llah made His declaration was renowned at the time for its beauty and served as a rare period of tranquility during His lifetime. Due to the garden’s natural beauty, dearly loved by Baha’u’llah, the garden became known among Baha’is as the Garden of “Ridván” (pronounced RIZ-von), an Arabic name for paradise.
The Festival of Ridván also marks the time each year that Baha’is elect the members of their governing councils. Free from electioneering or canvassing, the electoral process that takes place in every Baha’i locality around the world with nine or more adult members is truly unique when compared to the methods commonly used in free elections currently. Baha’is are called upon to vote for the adults in their community whom prayer and reflection inspire them to elect. There are no nominations, and voters consider qualifications of service to the greater community over attributes of personality. The nine Baha’is with the most votes serve on the local governing council, known as a Local Spiritual Assembly.
At the national level, Canadian Baha’is have elected their own National Spiritual Assembly since 1948. Unit conventions have already taken place to elect 171 delegates from across the country. These delegates will attend the national convention during Ridván to consult together, make recommendations to the National Spiritual Assembly, and elect the nine individuals who will serve on the Assembly for a term of one year. Given the current goals of the Baha’i community worldwide, subjects for consultation will likely centre on supporting and establishing youth groups for community service and spiritual education, neighbourhood children’s classes, centres for community worship, and the development of human resources within communities to support these goals. Some 500 observers from across Canada are expected to attend the national convention over the course of its four days.
This year’s national convention will take place in Montreal to mark the centenary of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s visit to Canada. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was Baha’u’llah’s eldest son and appointed successor as head of the Baha’i Faith. ‘Abdu’l-Baha travelled to Montreal from Massachusetts by train on the night of August 30, 1912, and stayed until September 9 before continuing to the American West.
The home in Montreal where ‘Abdu’l-Baha resided for part of his stay in Canada was designated as a Baha’i Shrine in 1953. The Shrine has recently undergone structural renovations that were completed in time for the national convention and Ridván celebrations. Though ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s visit to Canada was relatively brief, the influence of talks he gave in churches, interviews for reporters, and meetings with diverse classes of Montrealers has continued to this day. At the time the talks resulted in many newspaper articles summarizing ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s talks on the oneness of humanity.