Ayyam-í-Ha begins on February 26th and Ends on March 1st. It is a time dedicated to hospitality, charity, gift-giving and fellowship. The Bahá'í calendar consists of 19 months of 19 days each and Ayyam-í-Ha are the intercalery days, a 4 or 5 day period of time between the Bahá'í months of Mulk ("Dominion") and Alá ("Loftiness"), the last month of the Bahá'í year, a month of fasting from sunrise to sunset.
If you have reached this page from another site, please be aware that there are some fresh new celebration/gift ideas called Ayyam-i-Ha Excitement on the Featured Projects page. AND, There are more Ayyam-i-Ha and Holy Day page links at the bottom of this page. Enjoy!
Family Fun
Personalized Placemats
For each placemat you will need a sheet of construction paper or oaktag to act as a base; pictures cut from magazines or family photos which have been color-photocopied; marking pens; glue; glitter and/or sequins (optional); and two sheets of clear contact paper 1" larger and 1" wider than your placemat base paper.Decorate each paper base with pictures or photos appropriate to the family member. Write the person's name somewhere on the mat in bold letters. Include an inspirational or humorous quote if desired. Write your name and the date the placemat was created on the back of the base.
Peel away the paper backing from one of the sheets of clear contact paper. Place the contact paper STICKY SIDE UP on your working surface. Place your base RIGHT SIDE UP on top of the contact leaving about 1/2" of sticky paper remaining as a border.
If you'd like to add any glitter or sequins, sprinkle it or position them now.
Peel away the paper backing from the second sheet of contact paper. Line up the left edge of the contact with the edge of your sticky border and beginning from the left side and smoothing it to the right -- CAREFULLY place the paper STICKY SIDE DOWN on top of your placemat. Rub gently so that all surfaces are firmly bonded. Trim away about 1/4" of the border with decorative scissors like pinking shears or just tidy-up the border a bit with regular scissors.
Give each family member 10 index cards. Have each person write a specific family memory on five of the cards (help the younger children with this step), this could be a special birthday party, a family pet, a former address, great vacation, etc. On the second five cards have them write the name of a friend or family member no longer with you. Fold each card in half and place them in a decorated basket on your dining table. Every evening during Ayyam-í-Ha, each family member should read two of the cards pulled out of the basket at random. The rest of the family can then relate their version or memory of the person or event.
An age-old tradition, baskets of food are always a welcome gift of hospitality. Create a personalized basket by including the following recipes: large cookies which you've iced with white royal icing and piped on the words "Happy Ayyam-í-Ha!" with colored icing; Special Ayyam-í-Ha tea in a brown bag with an inspirational label and tea infuser; a small jar of fruit preserves; and a bag of muffin mix.
Choose an overall color scheme or theme for your celebration. At our home we like purple and gold as they are the colors of royalty. But others have chosen pastels and spring themes. You might also want to consider an international theme and celebrate a different country or culture each day, or decorate with international posters, dolls, and trinkets. Serve food from your chosen country at dinner. If possible, invite a family to dinner who are from that country (or who has visited there) so you can learn more.We like to buy ornaments in groups of 9 or 5 and hang them about the house. Generally we choose ornaments that have a symbolic meaning like celestial stars and suns, but we also like ornaments which represent one of the three "kingdoms:" mineral, vegetable and animal. Create any or all of the following ideas in your color or theme:
The object of the game: To guess, using only yes or no questions to guide you, who or what you are. There is no "winner" it is simply a mingling game--and it's fun. Every one can see who you are but you. (Hey, cover those mirrors during the game--no peeking)Preparation: You will need one slip of paper or an index card for each expected guest. On each card write a famous person place or thing. If you expect all Bahá'ís at your party write down the names of famous Bahá'ís, Bahá'í Holy Places, and Bahá'í Well-known Books or Tablets. (My girlfriend was thrilled to find out she was the "Tablet of Carmel"--her favorite.) Make sure to include some cards with very easy things for children or new Bahá'ís to guess. If a non-Bahá'í guest shows up, great! have a few famous artists, musicians, or world leaders on hand just in case.
As guests arrive: Tape a card on their back without them seeing who or what it is. Tell them they must only ask yes or no questions to determine who or what they are, and they may only ask two questions of each guest at a time. They can go back and talk to that guest again, but only after they have asked questions of another guest (this rule promotes mingling).
Invite senior citizens in your community to a party held in their honor. Make sure to have good tape recorders handy and have each guest of honor tell the story of how they became a Bahá'í.Or, plan a more intimate interview at the senior's home and request permission to play the final interview for the community at another time. Bring a hospitality basket with you for you interview as a thank-you for their time.
Hold a community talent show or stage a short play to entertain your guests.
Plan a visit a homeless shelter or community center. Make sure to call first and ask what you can do to be of assistance. Last year, two women in my community planned an arts & crafts event for the children at a local homeless shelter. At the end of the day each child had created their own animal paperbag puppet. They worked with an employee of the shelter to coordinate craft supplies and refreshments (what did the shelter have on hand already, etc.). The event was very successful.
CLICK HERE for more ideas for celebrating and decorating your home/office Ayyam-í-Ha. There are ideas for the younger crowd on a Raising Spiritual Children's Ayyam-i-Ha page. And, when you're done here at Creative Inspirations! visit Ayyam-i-Ha celebration ideas from Sue Mitchell's collection.
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