'Tis the season. However, for members of the Baha'i Faith, who come from virtually all national, cultural and religious backgrounds, gift-giving is still a few months away. It's a difficult concept for many outside our faith to grasp.

My husband, Ed, and I are the only Baha'is in our respective families, and they still don't quite "get it," even after all these years. I became a Baha'i approximately 25 years ago, after being raised as an Episcopalian. Ed's family is Jewish and he became a Baha'i more than 30 years ago. When he and I were discussing marriage, his mom said, "I had always hoped you would marry a nice Jewish girl." "But Mom," he said, "I've been a Baha'i for almost 30 years." "I know, I know," was her reply.

The Baha'i days of gift-giving occur at a time that can best be explained by knowing about the Baha'i calendar, which is composed of 19 months of 19 days each. The months are named for attributes of God, such as wisdom, splendor and mercy. There are nine holy days each year during which school and work are suspended.

There are four "intercalary" days—five in leap years—that bring the total number of days to 365. These days, from Feb. 26 to March 1, are also known as Ayyam-i-Ha, which roughly translates into "Days of Joy," and are devoted to feasting, hospitality, charity and gift-giving. Ayyam-i-Ha is also considered a period of preparation for the Baha'i fast, observed from March 2 to 20 each year, during which Baha'is abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset.

As Baha'is, Ed and I and our 7-year-old daughter, Alyssa, also are free to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah with our relatives. But in our home we don't put up a Christmas tree or buy each other gifts. We save that for Ayyam-i-Ha.

The Baha'i Faith has very few rituals and no manmade dogma. We are discouraged from creating any rigid forms of celebration or commemoration. Each family comes up with its own traditions that can be passed down to create lasting family memories.

In our family, we like to invite friends over to decorate cookies in the shape of a nine-pointed star, which is a symbol of the Baha'i Faith. We also make "multicultural" gingerbread boys and girls. I go to Alyssa's classroom and read "Maggie Celebrates Ayyam-i-Ha."

I received an encouraging phone call from a friend the other day asking if we would prefer to have her send gifts for Alyssa at the Baha'i gift-giving season instead of at Christmas. I really appreciated her asking. Then she said, "Tell me the name of the holiday again." "Ayyam-i-Ha," I said. "Oh, yes," she said, "like the motorcycle."

Ellen Price
Wilmette, Illinois