A Token of Our Deep Mourning

The Guardian trusts that the explanation he has given by wire regarding the suspension for a period of nine months of Bahá’í religious festivity has been made clear. The Nineteen Day Feast being of a quasi-administrative character should continue to be held, but should be conducted with the utmost simplicity and should be devoid of any features associated with feasts and entertainment. The celebration of Naw-Rúz, the anniversary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh and of the Báb should be altogether cancelled as a token of our deep mourning for so distinguished and precious a member of Bahá’u’lláh’s family. The period of nine months should be reckoned from the 15th of July to the 15th of April.

From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, dated 15 September 1932, to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada.

Source: Bahíyyih Khánum: The Greatest Holy Leaf, compiled by the Bahá’í World Centre (1982), Part IV, “Passages from letters written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi,” no. 18. Text as reproduced in Project Gutenberg eBook #19242 (used under the Bahá’í terms of use; not public domain).

Effendi, W. O. B. O. S.. (1982). *Bahíyyih Khánum: The Greatest Holy Leaf*. Bahá'í World Centre. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/19242/pg19242-images.html