Pentecost Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==== Sacraments ==== From the early days of Western Christianity, Pentecost became one of the days set aside to celebrate [[Baptism]]. In Northern Europe Pentecost was preferred even over Easter for this rite, as the temperatures in late spring might be supposed to be more conducive to outdoor [[immersion baptism|immersion]] as was then the practice. It is proposed that the term [[Whit Sunday]] derives from the custom of the newly baptized wearing white clothing, and from the white vestments worn by the clergy in [[Sarum Rite|English liturgical uses]]. The holiday was also one of the three days each year (along with [[Christmas]] and [[Easter]]) Roman Catholics were required to [[confession (religion)|confess]] and receive [[Holy Communion]] in order to remain in good ecclesiastical standing.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06278a.htm |title=Catholic Encyclopedia: Frequent Communion |publisher=Newadvent.org |access-date=2010-05-17}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=November 2022}} Holy Communion is likewise often a feature of the Protestant observance of Pentecost as well. It is one of the relatively few Sundays some [[Reformed tradition|Reformed]] denominations may offer the communion meal, and is one of the days of the year specially appointed among [[Moravian Church|Moravians]] for the celebration of their Love Feasts. [[Ordinations]] are celebrated across a wide array of Western denominations at Pentecost, or near to it. In some denominations, for example the [[Lutheran]] Church, even if an ordination or consecration of a [[deaconess]] is not celebrated on Pentecost, the [[liturgical color]] will invariably be red, and the theme of the service will be the Holy Spirit. Above all, Pentecost is a day to hold [[Confirmation]] celebrations for youth. Flowers, the wearing of white robes or white dresses recalling Baptism, rites such as the [[laying on of hands]], and vibrant singing play prominent roles on these joyous occasions, the blossoming of Spring forming an equal analogy with the blossoming of youth. Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page