Dehwa Daimana (Birth of Yahya Yuhana) · Dehwa Daimana

Culture of origin: Mandaean · Cultural

Holiday sources: Iran · Mandaeism

Dehwa Daimana celebrates the birthday of Yahya Yuhana (John the Baptist), whom Mandaeans revere as their greatest and last prophet. It falls on the first day of Hiṭia, the 11th month of the Mandaean calendar, and children have their first baptism that day. It is one of the four main Mandaean feasts, also called the Golden Baptism Day. Because the Mandaean year has no leap day, the feast comes one day earlier in the Gregorian calendar every four years.