A local religious group will be celebrating extra days of the calendar.

Called “Ayyam-i-Ha,” which is Arabic for Intercalary Days, the four extra days – five in a leap year – are only on the Bah ‘i calendar. Bah ‘i is an independent religion that believes all of humanity is one single race.

Since the Bah ‘i mark days from sunset to sunset, the Intercalary Days began at sunset Feb. 25, which is considered Feb. 26 to the Bah ‘i, and ends on March 1, or March 2 to the Bah ‘i, said Amelia Mease, president of the ISU Bah ‘i Student Association and sophomore in biology.

“The Intercalary Days are designated for the giving of gifts, hospitality, feasting, rejoicing and charity,” said Pat Whiteford, an Ames’ Bah ‘i.

“The Intercalary Days immediately precede the last month of the Bah ‘i calendar, which is a month of fasting.”

March 21 is the first day of the 159th year of the Bah ‘is.

Mease said the Bah ‘i calendar started in 1844, with the Declaration of the Bab, who was the Herald of Bah ‘u’ll h, the founder of the faith.

“[Bah ‘i has] a belief in the doctrine of progressive revelation – God sends messengers at different times, in different places, to help human beings progress,” Whiteford said.

Both Mease and Whiteford said the people believe in the equality of all races as well as in the equality of women and men.

“We believe in the oneness of God and the oneness of humanity,” Mease said.

The Bah ‘i faith is the second-most widespread religion behind Christianity, Mease said.

“There is no clergy in the Bah ‘i faith,” Whiteford said. “There was an administrative structure ordained by Bah ‘u’ll h, the [Bah ‘i] prophet.”

Aubrey Scott, freshman in food science, said her parents are Bah ‘i and she was born into the faith. Mease was also born into the faith.

Even though they were born into the faith, Mease said Bah ‘is believe the relationship between God and oneself is a personal choice. Mease said she became a member of the faith at the age of 15, the Bah ‘i age of maturity. Mease signed the Bah ‘i membership card and became an official member of the faith.

Whiteford said she found the Bah ‘i faith “in the midst of an intense search for a spiritual home.

“It just fit,” she said.