Pentecost

Next Pentecost Sunday, 8 June 2025

Pentecost, also known as Whitsunday, is a Christian observance that takes place fifty days after Easter.

It has its origins in the Judaism tradition of the Festival of Weeks, but it also commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit onto Jesus's Apostles after his ascension into heaven.

It is not a public holiday in the United States or Canada, but since it falls on a Sunday shops and businesses will be closed as usual.

What Is Pentecost

Pentecost is a holiday for the Christian community that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon those who follow Jesus Christ including the Apostles.

It is said that this happened while they were celebrating the Feast Of Weeks in Jerusalem.

The term 'Pentecost' is derived from the word 'pentekoste' which is the Greek word for 'fiftieth'.

Since the festival is observed on the seventh Sunday following Easter which is also fifty days after Easter, it is named Pentecost.

What Is Pentecost In The Bible

According to Acts 2 of the New Testament in the Bible, Jesus was resurrected after his Crucifixion.

The holy Bible says he spent forty days with his Apostles teaching them the word of God. Before ascending to heaven he told his disciples that they would be visited by the power of the Holy Ghost.

In Jerusalem, the apostles gathered to feast and commemorate the Feast of Harvest, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the house where they were eating and into each one of them.

This resulted in several people converting to Christianity, after witnessing the works of the Holy Spirit, and thus, the tradition of Pentecost in Christianity was born.

Many see this instance, the first Pentecost, as the foundation of the modern church as we know it. It was because of the Holy Spirit that Jesus's disciples were able to spread the word of God through different countries.

3 Things That Happened During Pentecost

The disciples had witnessed Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven, which caused them to go through a sequence of tremendous highs and lows. The events of Pentecost took place within this emotional context. According to the Bible, during Pentecost:

The Holy Spirit descends onto the disciples: On the day of Pentecost, the disciples and other followers of Jesus were gathered together when they heard a sound like a rushing wind and saw tongues of fire that rested on each of them. This was the Holy Spirit, which empowered them to speak in other languages and communicate with people from all over the world who were gathered in Jerusalem.
Peter preached to the crowd: After receiving the Holy Spirit, Peter preached to those who had gathered, explaining what had just happened. He told the crowds that Jesus, who had been crucified and resurrected, was the Messiah and that if they believed in him they would receive forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The birth of the church: These events are seen as the birth of the Christian church. The followers of Jesus were given the confidence to preach the message of Christianity to people from all nations. According to the Bible, about 3,000 people were baptized and added to the church that day.

How It Is Observed

The main symbol for Pentecost is the color red. Altars are adorned in this color, and the priests wear vestments of the same color. The red symbolizes the tongues of fire of the Holy Spirit, as well as joy.

During Pentecost, there are also many baptisms, a tradition that comes from the fact that many converted to Christianism after the first Pentecost.