

Icon of the Pentecost Tags: Pentecost View |
Tags: Pentecost View |
Tags: Pentecost View |
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Pentecost (lang-grc?????????? polytonic?????, Pent?kost? h?mera, "the Fiftieth day") is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples (Disciple (Christianity)) of Christ. The feast is also called Whitsun, Whitsunday, Whit Sunday, or Whitsuntide, especially in the United Kingdom. Pentecost is celebrated seven weeks (50 days) after Easter Sunday, hence its name. Pentecost falls on the tenth day after Ascension Thursday.
Pentecost is historically and symbolically related to the Jewish harvest festival of Shavuot, which commemorates God giving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai fifty days after the Exodus (The Exodus). Among Christians, Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles (Twelve apostles) and other followers of Jesus as described in the New Testament Acts of the Apostles 2:1-31 . For this reason, Pentecost is sometimes described as the "Birthday of the Church".
The Pentecostal movement of Christianity derives its name from this biblical event.
Holiday Name: Pentecost
Observedby: Catholics, Protestants, Eastern Orthodox and other Christians.
Date2009: May 31 (Western),June 7 (Eastern)
Date2010: May 23 (both Western and Eastern)
Observances: Prayer, Vigils, Fasting (pre-festival), Novenas, Retreats Holy Communion, Litany
Celebrations: Religious (church) services, Festive meals, Processions, Baptism, Confirmation, Ordination, Folk customs, Dancing, Spring & woodland rites, Festive clothing.
Type: Christian
Significance: Celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus
Relatedto: Shavuot, historically and symbolically; Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Quinquagesima, Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday which lead up to Easter; and Ascension (Ascension of Jesus Christ), Trinity Sunday, and Corpus Christi (Corpus Christi (feast)) which follow it. Liturgical year