Pentecost

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Pentecost or Pentecost Sunday (symbolically related to the Jewish festival of Shavuot) is a feast on the Christian liturgical calendar that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and women followers of Jesus, fifty days after Easter, and ten days after Ascension Thursday.

Origin of Pentecost

The origins of Pentecost are found in the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan (corresponding to late May/early June). It marks the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer and the day the Torah was given at Mount Sinai. This feast provides closure for the festival activities during and following the holiday of Passover. In ancient times, the grain harvest lasted seven weeks and was a season of gladness. It began with the harvesting of the barley during Passover and ended with the harvesting of the wheat at Shavuot. Thus Shavuot was also the concluding festival of the grain harvest. As part of the Festival of First Fruits, the Hebrews would offer grain, bread or the first ripened fruits at the temple.

The Jewish feast of Shavuot, is also called:

the Feast of Weeks (Deuteronomy 16: 10)
the Feast of Harvest (Exodus 23: 16)
the day of first-fruits (Numbers 28:26)

In the Hellenistic period, the feast was for renewal of the covenant God made with Noah (Gen. 9:8-17).

The name "Pentecost" comes from the Greek word Pentékosté, (fiftieth [day]) since Shavuot occurs 50 days after Passover. As Christians celebrate Passover on Easter Sunday this means that the Christian commemoration of Pentecost occurs on the seventh Sunday after Easter. With respect to the First Fruits it is believed that Jesus' followers who received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost constituted the 'first fruits' of the redemption paid for in the crucifixion of Jesus.

"The Pentecost"

File:Pentecost-icon.jpg

Icon depicting Pentecost

The Christian church celebrates the Feast of Pentecost fifty days, or seven weeks, after the resurrection of Jesus (Easter Sunday).

According to Christian belief; after the ascension of Jesus the apostles retired to a house at Jerusalem and waited for the Holy Spirit which Jesus had promised. As they waited there together on the day of Pentecost there was the sound of great wind and the Holy Spirit descended upon them. This was a transformative and profound experience, as described in the Book of Acts 2:1:

¹And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ²And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. ³And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. ⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.[1]

Pentecost is also known in English, especially in Britain, as Whitsun (Whitsunday), from the Old English, as Hwita Sunnandæg, ("White Sunday,") —in reference to the white robes worn by those baptized on the previous Easter.Template:Fn

Pentecost - image from the Ingeborg-Psalter (about 1200)

Pentecostal Christian churches, which are so named because they emphasise the Holy Spirit in each individual, celebrate Pentecost as the anniversary of the disciples' being filled with the Spirit, as described in the New Testament in Acts 2:17. Not only Pentecostal Christian churches celebrate the day of Pentecost. In the Roman Catholic Church, its Eastern Rites and Anglican churches, the feast of Pentecost Sunday is celebrated with the rank of a solemnity (the highest liturgical rank for any feast). Most Christians recognise the event of Pentecost as 'the birth of the Church' (the moment when its foundation was completed).

The Baptism of the three-thousand

According to the Book of Acts 2:1, the experience of the Pentecost was shared by all in the large crowd, causing confusion, and inspiring fear.

⁶Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. [...] ⁸And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? [...] ¹²And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? [...] [2]

Then (the Apostle) Peter standing with the eleven other apostles spoke to the crowd. He explained that these strange events had been predicted by the prophet Joel, and that Jesus's coming had been prophesied by David. Peter explained that these events confirmed David's prophesied exaltation of Jesus. Peter then exorted his listeners to turn to Christ. About three thousand responded to Peter's sermon.

Three physical signs occurred showing the coming of the Holy Spirit

A. Sound of Blowing Wind

B. Vision of tongues of Fire that rested on each of them. The tongues of Fire which descended on the disciples represents a theophany (a visible manifestation of God). This is important to Christianity in that it represents the dynastic succession of power from Jesus to the Holy Spirit who guides the believers.

C. They heard the apostles speaking in the native tongue of the listener, i.e., the miracle was in the hearing. This was important in that it was key for the spread of the gospel. The Holy Spirit acted as a translator so that as the preaching occurred everyone there comprehended the message in their own native language. (This event has also been interpreted as the opposite of the events at the Tower of Babel, which, according to the tradition, introduced the language barriers in the first place.)

²⁶Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: ²⁷Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. ²⁸Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. [...] ³³Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. [...]

Simon Peter also reminded the multitude (in Acts 2:17-21) that this experience had been predicted by the prophet Joel:

"And it shall come to pass afterward [or in the 'latter days'] that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams and your young men shall see visions." (Joel 2:28)

³⁸Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. [...] ⁴¹Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.[3]

Traditions and holidays

The coming of the Holy Spirit in a 15th century illuminated manuscript.

In Italy it was customary to scatter rose petals from the ceiling of the churches to recall the miracle of the fiery tongues; hence in Sicily and elsewhere in Italy Whitsunday is called Pascha rosatum. The Italian name Pascha rossa comes from the red colours of the vestments used on Whitsunday.
In France it was customary to blow trumpets during Divine service, to recall the sound of the mighty wind which accompanied the Descent of the Holy Spirit.
In England the gentry amused themselves with horse races. The Whitsun Ales or merrymakings are almost wholly obsolete in England. At these ales the Whitsun plays were performed.
At Vespers of Pentecost in the Oriental Churches, the extraordinary service of genuflexion, accompanied by long poetical prayers and psalms, takes place. On Pentecost the Russians carry flowers and green branches in their hands. It ought also to be noted that the week prior to this holiday is known as "green week", during which all manner of plants and herbs are gathered. The Eastern Orthodox church considers this whole week to be an ecclesiastic feast.

The following Monday is a holiday in much of Europe. The day is known as Whit Monday in England, Wales, and Ireland, and is also celebrated in Iceland, Norway, Denmark, The Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, parts of Switzerland, Germany and Hungary. Since 1967, however, Whit Monday has not been a public holiday in the United Kingdom; the holiday has been moved to the fixed date of the last Monday in May, which sometimes but by no means always coincides with Whit Monday. Whit Monday also ceased to be a statutory holiday in France in 2005, where the abolishment led to strong protests. Also in Sweden Whit Monday is no longer a holiday and June 6 (Swedish National Day) has become a day off.

Whitsunday remains one of the Scottish term days, at which debts are paid and leases traditionally expire, but this Scottish Whitsunday is now always considered to fall on May 15.

When is Pentecost?

According to Church tradition Pentecost is always seven weeks after Easter Sunday. It is in mid- to late spring in the Northern Hemisphere and mid- to late Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.

The earliest possible date is May 10 as in 1818 and 2285. The latest possible date is June 13 as in 1943 and 2038.

(The Eastern Orthodox and some Eastern Catholic churches observe a different date due to different dates for observing Easter.)

Etymology

Template:Fnb Pentecost is also known as Whitsun (Whitsunday) in the UK. It is often said that this name comes from the white robes traditionally worn this day by those newly baptized. The word was already familiar in Old English, as Hwita Sunnandæg. The week beginning on Whitsunday (especially the first three days) is called Whitsuntide (formerly also spelled Whitsontide) or Whit Week.

However an alternative etymology flows from Wit or Wisdom Sunday, the day when the Apostles were filled with wisdom by the Holy Ghost. see Brewer's

External links