Montreal, Quebec, Novembre 12, 2015 — The Bahá'í Communities on the island of Montreal and the world are celebrating the twin birthdays celebrations of the Herald as well as the Founder of the Faith.

"All Feasts have attained their consummation in the two Most Great Festivals, and in the two other Festivals that fall on the twin days." -- Bahá'u'lláh

The Universal House of Justice in their letter of July 10, 2014 explains the significance of these two celebrations: ‘’The Festivals of the Twin Birthdays, the Birth of the Báb and the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, have, in the East, been traditionally observed according to their correspondence to the first and second days of Muḥarram in the Islamic calendar. “These two days are accounted as one in the sight of God”, Bahá’u’lláh affirms. Yet, a letter written on behalf of the Guardian states, “In the future, no doubt all of the Holy Days will follow the Solar calendar, and provisions be made as to how the Twin Festivals will be celebrated universally.” How to satisfy the intrinsic lunar character of these blessed Days within the context of a solar calendar has hitherto been unanswered. We have decided that they will now be observed on the first and the second day following the occurrence of the eighth new moon after Naw-Rúz, as determined in advance by astronomical tables using Ṭihrán as the point of reference. This will result in the observance of the Twin Birthdays moving, year to year, within the months of Mashíyyat, ‘Ilm, and Qudrat of the Badí‘ calendar, or from mid-October to mid-November according to the Gregorian calendar. Next year, the Birth of the Báb will occur on 10 Qudrat and the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh on 11 Qudrat. With joy and eager anticipation, we look to the upcoming bicentennial anniversaries of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh and the Birth of the Báb, in 174 and 176 B.E., respectively, which the entire Bahá’í world will celebrate according to a common calendar.’’

The Báb and Bahá'u'lláh were born 196 and 198 years ago respectively, and their lives are remarkable in the field of religious history. In a tribute held by the Brazilian Parliament to the life of Baha'u'llah, a member of Brazil's parliament at the time, described Bahá'u'lláh's writings as "the most colossal religious work written by the pen of a single Man." During the six year period from the declaration of His religious mission until His execution by the Persian government in 1850, the Báb is estimated to have written religious texts totalling some half million verses, while during His religious ministry Baha'u'llah wrote texts totalling some 100 volumes. Even in their original Arabic and Persian, only a small portion of these texts have yet been published, with an even smaller fraction translated into English. These Writings embody the principles that the world needs at present time.