Feast of Loftiness (and start of the Bahá’í period of fasting)

This is the first day of the nineteenth and last month in the Bahá’í year, called ‘Ala (meaning ‘loftiness’).  Each year has nineteen months of nineteen days each, with the Intercalary Days falling at the end of February.  On the first day of every Bahá’í month, Bahá’ís in each locality gather for the Nineteen Day Feast.  The month of ‘Ala is also the time when Bahá’ís fast.  The fast is from sunrise to sunset on each of the nineteen days of the month.