Bahá'ís should
obviously be encouraged to preserve their inherited cultural identities, as
long as the activities involved do not contravene the principles of the Faith.
The perpetuation of such cultural characteristics is an expression of unity in
diversity. Although most of these festive celebrations have no doubt stemmed
from religious rituals in bygone ages, the believers should not be deterred
from participating in those in which, over the course of time, the religious
meaning has given way to purely culturally oriented practices. For example, Naw-Rúz
itself was originally a Zoroastrian religious festival, but gradually its
Zoroastrian connotation has almost been forgotten. Iranians, even after their
conversion to Islam, have been observing it as a national festival. Now Naw-Rúz
has become a Bahá'í Holy Day and is being observed throughout the world, but,
in addition to the Bahá'í observance, many Iranian Bahá'ís continue to carry
out their past cultural traditions in connection with this Feast. Similarly,
there are a number of national customs in every part of the world which have
cultural rather than religious connotations.
In deciding whether or not to participate in such traditional activities, the
Bahá'ís must guard against two extremes. The one is to disassociate themselves
needlessly from harmless cultural observances and thus alienate themselves from
their non-Bahá'í families and friends; the other is to continue the practice of
abrogated observances of previous dispensations and thus undermine the
independence of the Bahá'í Faith and create undesirable distinctions between
themselves and their fellow-Bahá'ís. In this connection there is a difference
between what Bahá'ís do among themselves and what they do in companionship with
their non-Bahá'í friends and relations. For example, in a letter written on
behalf of the Guardian there appears the following guidance:
As regards the celebration of the Christian Holidays by the believers: it is
surely preferable and even highly advisable that the friends should in their
relation to each other discontinue observing such holidays as Christmas and New
Year, and to have their festal gatherings of this nature instead during the
intercalary days and Naw-Rúz. (From a letter written on behalf of the
Universal House of Justice; Compilation: ‘ Traditional Aspects of African
Culture’, prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice)
