Naw-Rúz 183 B.E.
At sunset on Friday 20th March through to sunset Saturday 21 March 2026, Bahá’ís around the world will mark the beginning of the new year, Naw-Rúz 183 B.E. Following the sacred Baháʼí month of ʻAlaʼ - the period of the Nineteen Day Fast - Naw-Rúz is a time of great joy, togetherness, and renewed spirit.
At the heart of Naw-Rúz is a spirit of gratitude, exquisitely captured in the following prayer revealed by Bahá’u’lláh especially for this joyous spiritual springtime:
Naw-Rúz
Praised be Thou, O my God, that Thou hast ordained Naw-Rúz as a festival unto those who have observed the Fast for love of Thee and abstained from all that is abhorrent unto Thee. Grant, O my Lord, that the fire of Thy love and the heat produced by the Fast enjoined by Thee may inflame them in Thy Cause, and make them to be occupied with Thy praise and with remembrance of Thee.
Since Thou hast adorned them, O my Lord, with the ornament of the Fast prescribed by Thee, do Thou adorn them also with the ornament of Thine acceptance, through Thy grace and bountiful favor. For the doings of men are all dependent upon Thy good pleasure, and are conditioned by Thy behest. Shouldst Thou regard him who hath broken the Fast as one who hath observed it, such a man would be reckoned among them who from eternity had been keeping the Fast. And shouldst Thou decree that he who hath observed the Fast hath broken it, that person would be numbered with such as have caused the Robe of Thy Revelation to be stained with dust, and been far removed from the crystal waters of this living Fountain.
Thou art He through Whom the ensign “Praiseworthy art Thou in Thy works” hath been lifted up, and the standard “Obeyed art Thou in Thy behest” hath been unfurled. Make known this Thy station, O my God, unto Thy servants, that they may be made aware that the excellence of all things is dependent upon Thy bidding and Thy word, and the virtue of every act is conditioned by Thy leave and the good pleasure of Thy will, and may recognize that the reins of men’s doings are within the grasp of Thine acceptance and Thy commandment. Make this known unto them, that nothing whatsoever may shut them out from Thy Beauty, in these days whereon the Christ exclaimeth: “All dominion is Thine, O Thou the Begetter of the Spirit (Jesus)”; and Thy Friend (Muḥammad) crieth out: “Glory be to Thee, O Thou the Best-Beloved, for that Thou hast uncovered Thy Beauty, and written down for Thy chosen ones what will cause them to attain unto the seat of the revelation of Thy Most Great Name, through which all the peoples have lamented except such as have detached themselves from all else except Thee, and set themselves towards Him Who is the Revealer of Thyself and the Manifestation of Thine attributes.”
He Who is Thy Branch and all Thy company, O my Lord, have broken this day their fast, after having observed it within the precincts of Thy court, and in their eagerness to please Thee. Do Thou ordain for Him, and for them, and for all such as have entered Thy presence in those days all the good Thou didst destine in Thy Book. Supply them, then, with that which will profit them, in both this life and in the life beyond.
Thou, in truth, art the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
—Bahá’u’lláh
On Monday 16 March 2026, the Bahá’í community of New Zealand received a heartfelt message from the New Zealand Jewish Council, expressing gratitude for gestures of solidarity after the terrible events at Bondi on 14 December, and extending warm Naw-Rúz greetings.
As we step into this new year, the National Spiritual Assembly of Aotearoa wishes each and every one of you a wonderfully joyous and uplifting celebration, and the continued hope that this new year offers manifold opportunities for us all to carry forward the spiritual confirmations and insights gained during the Fast, and to align our lives ever more closely with the values of unity, love and service as we strive to bring about Bahá’u’lláh’s vision for humanity through our efforts to serve the current phase of the Divine Plan: the Nine Year Plan.
