Members of the Bahá’í Faith across Long Island will gather on March 20 at the Bahá’í Center in Valley Stream to celebrate Naw-Rúz, the faith’s New Year.
The evening celebration, scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m., will include a dinner, a short program with prayers and readings and time for fellowship. Organizers said the event is open to members of the public as well as followers of the faith and is intended as a welcoming gathering that reflects the religion’s emphasis on unity and community.
Naw-Rúz, which means “New Day,” marks the end of a 19-day period of fasting observed by members of the Bahá’í Faith. During the fast, adult Bahá’ís abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset to focus on prayer, reflection and spiritual renewal.
Marie McNair, a member of the Bahá’í Faith for more than 50 years and involved in organizing the celebration, said the holy day holds symbolic meaning for followers.
“Often there are gatherings, parties, prayers, joy, bringing together guests, socializing, and so on,” McNair said. “But while there are those physical manifestations of the value of this celebration, it also has a very important spiritual significance, because what we’re also celebrating is this New Day, which reflects this new revelation.”
The Bahá’í Faith began in Persia, which is present-day Iran, in 1844, and was founded by Bahá’u’lláh. The religion teaches that humanity is one family united under one God and that the world’s major religions represent successive revelations meant to guide humanity’s spiritual and social development.
Today, the religion has followers across the globe and is found in countries and territories worldwide. Bahá’ís around the world focus on community-building efforts that bring people together and encourage cooperation across different backgrounds.
Central to the teachings is the concept of the oneness of humanity, as well as the idea that spiritual growth and service to others are closely connected. Followers seek to develop qualities such as kindness, justice and compassion while also working to serve their communities.
“You can’t develop those virtues without being of service, and you can’t really be of service without the development of those virtues,” McNair said. “It’s a faith that isn’t like we work and serve in this faith. It’s not the kind of faith where you go, sit in a building, and then leave. You live your life in a constant mode of service, study, learning and devotion.”
Karen Renna, a third-generation American Bahá’í who helps organize activities at the Valley Stream center, said those principles guide the work there year-round.
The Valley Stream building functions as a gathering place for Bahá’ís across Long Island. While the religion has houses of worship, the Valley Stream site is the only dedicated Bahá’í Center on Long Island.
The building allows the region’s Bahá’í communities to hold larger gatherings than would typically take place in homes or rented spaces. These communities exist throughout Long Island, where members meet locally and elect a governing body, known as a Local Spiritual Assembly, to organize community activities.
Unlike many religions, the faith has no clergy. Instead, administrative bodies are elected through a secret ballot to help coordinate community affairs.
Renna said the Valley Stream center is also used for activities open to the public, including devotional gatherings, art programs and community discussions.
“The space itself, if it doesn’t serve that purpose, it wouldn’t have the value that it has to us,” Renna said. “We try to make great efforts to ensure that it does have that greater purpose, that it does serve not just the Bahá’ís, but the larger community.”
Preparations for the Naw-Rúz celebration will include decorative elements reflecting themes of renewal and transformation associated with both spring and the end of the fast. Renna, a retired art teacher who helps decorate the center for the event, said symbols such as flowers, butterflies and eggs will be incorporated to reflect ideas of rebirth and spiritual change.
The event will also feature a traditional table arrangement known as “Haft-Sin,” a practice rooted in Persian culture. The display includes seven symbolic items, each representing themes such as growth, health, patience and new beginnings.
The evening will begin with spiritual readings, followed by a free dinner and conversation. Organizers said the program is designed to be accessible for visitors who may be unfamiliar with the faith.
McNair said the gathering is intended to provide a welcoming environment where people can simply come together and celebrate.
“I hope people leave with the sense of joy and hope for the future,” Renna said. “Yes, we live in a very challenging time, there is no question, and we would never deny the existence of those challenges, but we do have the capacity within us to move forward and to make changes to make the world a better place.”
For Bahá’ís, the holy day represents both the culmination of a period of spiritual reflection and the start of a new year dedicated to personal growth and service to humanity.
