Naw-Rúz, Persian for ‘New Day’

• Considered one of the holiest months for followers of the Muslim faith, Ramadan honors the revelation of the Qu’ran. During Ramadan many Muslims fast from food and drink during sunlit hours as a way to draw closer to God and build upon spiritual values and practices.

• International Women’s Day is a global celebration honoring women’s economic, political and social achievements.

• Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honor of the god Shiva. The name also refers to the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance called Tandava.

• The Nineteen-Day Fast is a nineteen-day period of the year during which members of the Baháʼí Faith adhere to a sunrise-to-sunset fast. Along with prayer, it is one of the greatest obligations of the Baháʼí faith, and its chief purpose is to reinvigorate the soul. The nineteen days of fasting occur immediately before the beginning of the Baháʼí New Year.

• The Ayyam-i-Ha (or Intercalary Days) are when members of the Bahá’ís faith focus prepare for the month of fasting.