Pentecost

{{Short description|Christian holy day}}
{{about|the Christian holiday|other uses}}
{{hatnote|Not to be confused with the Jewish holiday of [[Shavuot]]}}
{{Infobox holiday
| holiday_name  = Pentecost
| nickname      = {{ubl|[[Whitsunday]] (Ireland, United Kingdom)|[[Trinity Sunday]] (Eastern Orthodoxy)}}
| image         = [[File:Vienna Karlskirche frescos4b.jpg|frameless|upright=1.3]]
| caption       = [[Fresco]] of the Pentecostal dove (representing the [[Holy Spirit]]) at the [[Karlskirche]] in [[Vienna]], [[Austria]]
| observedby    = [[Catholic Church]], [[Old Catholics]], [[Lutheran]]s, [[Eastern Orthodox]], [[Oriental Orthodox]], [[Amish]], [[Anglicans]] and other [[Christians]]
| observances   = [[Prayer]], vigils, [[fasting]] (pre-festival), [[novenas]], [[retreats]], [[Holy Communion]], [[litany]]
| celebrations  = [[Church service]]s, festive meals, processions, [[baptism]], [[confirmation]], [[ordination]], folk customs, dancing, spring and woodland rites.
| type          = Christian
| significance  = Celebrates the descent of the [[Holy Spirit]] upon the [[Apostles in the New Testament|Apostles]] and other followers of Jesus; birth of the Church
| date          = 50 days after [[Easter]]
| date{{LASTYEAR}} = {{Unbulleted list 
| {{Moveable date |holiday=Pentecost |format=infobox |year={{LASTYEAR}}}} (Western)
| {{Moveable date |holiday=Pentecost (Eastern) |format=infobox |year={{LASTYEAR}}}} (Eastern)}}
| date{{CURRENTYEAR}} = {{Unbulleted list 
| {{Moveable date |holiday=Pentecost |format=infobox |year={{CURRENTYEAR}} |cite=y}} (Western)
| {{Moveable date |holiday=Pentecost (Eastern) |format=infobox |year={{CURRENTYEAR}}}} (Eastern)}}
| date{{NEXTYEAR}} = {{Unbulleted list 
| {{Moveable date |holiday=Pentecost |format=infobox |year={{NEXTYEAR}}}} (Western)
| {{Moveable date |holiday=Pentecost (Eastern) |format=infobox |year={{NEXTYEAR}}}} (Eastern)}}
| date{{NEXTYEAR|2}} = {{Unbulleted list 
| {{Moveable date |holiday=Pentecost |format=infobox |year={{NEXTYEAR|2}}}} (Western)
| {{Moveable date |holiday=Pentecost (Eastern) |format=infobox |year={{NEXTYEAR|2}}}} (Eastern)}}
| relatedto     = [[Jesus Day]], [[Shavuot]], [[Rosalia (festival)|Rosalia]], [[Green week|Green Week]], [[Pinkster]], [[Whit Monday]], [[Whit Tuesday]], [[Whit Friday]], [[Trinity Sunday]]
}}
'''Pentecost''' (also called '''Whit Sunday''', '''Whitsunday''' or '''[[Whitsun]]''') is a [[Christianity|Christian]] holiday which takes place on the 49th day (50th day when [[inclusive counting]] is used) after [[Easter Sunday]].<ref name="Pritchard2019">{{cite web |last1=Pritchard |first1=Ray |title=What Is Pentecost? |url=https://www.christianity.com/jesus/early-church-history/pentecost/where-did-pentecost-come-from.html |publisher=[[Christianity.com]] |access-date=9 June 2019 |language=en |quote=According to the Old Testament, you would go to the day of the celebration of Firstfruits, and beginning with that day, you would count off 50 days. The fiftieth day would be the Day of Pentecost. So Firstfruits is the beginning of the barley harvest and Pentecost the celebration of the beginning of the wheat harvest. Since it was always 50 days after Firstfruits, and since 49 days equals seven weeks, it always came a "week of weeks" later.}}</ref> It commemorates the descent of the [[Holy Spirit]] upon [[Mary, mother of Jesus]] and the [[Apostles in the New Testament|Apostles of Jesus]] while they were in [[Jerusalem during the Second Temple Period|Jerusalem]] celebrating the [[Feast of Weeks]], as described in the [[Acts of the Apostles]] (Acts 2:1–31).<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|2:1–31}}</ref> While the Catholic Church believes the Holy Spirit descended upon Mary, this is not recorded in the [[New Testament]].

Pentecost is one of the [[Great feasts in the Eastern Orthodox Church]], a [[Solemnity]] in the [[Roman Rite]] of the [[Catholic Church]], a [[Liturgical calendar (Lutheran)#Festivals|Festival]] in the [[Lutheranism|Lutheran Churches]], and a [[Principal Feast]] in the [[Anglican Communion]]. Many Christian denominations provide a special liturgy for this holy celebration. Since its date depends on the [[date of Easter]], Pentecost is a "[[moveable feast]]". The [[Whit Monday|Monday after Pentecost]] is a legal holiday in many European, African and Caribbean countries.

== Etymology ==
The term ''Pentecost'' comes from {{lang-grc-koi|πεντηκοστή|pentēkostē|fiftieth}}. One of the meanings of "Pentecost" in the [[Septuagint]], the Jewish Koine Greek translation of the [[Hebrew Bible]], refers to the festival of [[Shavuot]], one of the [[Three Pilgrimage Festivals]], which is celebrated on the fiftieth day after [[Passover]] according to [[Re'eh#Shavuot|Deuteronomy 16:10]],{{efn-lr|{{bibleverse|Deuteronomy|16:10}}}} and [[Ki Tissa#Shavuot|Exodus 34:22]],<ref>{{bibleverse|Exodus|34:22}}</ref> where it is referred to as the "Festival of Weeks" ({{lang-grc-koi|ἑορτὴν ἑβδομάδων|heortēn hebdomádōn|link=no}}).<ref name="auto">{{Cite book |publisher=United Bible Societies |isbn=978-0-8267-0104-6 |last1=Bratcher |first1=Robert G |last2=Hatton |first2=Howard |title=A handbook on Deuteronomy |location=New York |date=2000}}</ref><ref name=jansen /><ref name=BDAG>{{Cite book |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0-226-03933-6 |last1=Danker |first1=Frederick W |last2=Arndt |first2=William |last3=Bauer |first3=Walter |title=A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature |location=Chicago |date=2000}}</ref> The Septuagint uses the term {{transliteration|grc|Pentēkostē}} in the [[Book of Tobit]] and [[2 Maccabees]], which are in the [[Catholic Bible]], but for [[Protestantism|Protestants]] are [[deuterocanonical books]].{{Clarify|reason=Is Tobit in the Septuagint?|date=March 2024}}<ref name="TDNT" /><ref name="isbe">{{Cite encyclopedia |editor-first=Geoffrey William |editor-last=Bromiley |title=Pentecost |encyclopedia=The International standard Bible encyclopedia |edition=2 |publisher=W.B. Eerdmans |location=Grand Rapids, Michigan |date=2009}}</ref><ref>{{bibleverse|Tobit|2:1|NRSV}}{{bibleverse|2 Maccabees|12:32|NRSV}}</ref>

The translators of the Septuagint also used the word in two other senses: to signify the year of [[Jubilee (biblical)|Jubilee]] ([[Behar|Leviticus 25:10]])<ref>{{bibleverse|Leviticus|25:10}}</ref><ref name="TDNT">{{cite encyclopedia |editor1-first=Kittel |editor1-last=Gerhard |editor2-first=Gerhard |editor2-last=Friedrich |editor3-first=Geoffrey William |editor3-last=Bromiley |translator=Geoffrey William Bromiley |title=Pentecost |encyclopedia=Theological dictionary of the New Testament |publisher=Eerdmans |location=Grand Rapids, Michigan |date=2006 |isbn=978-0-8028-2243-7}}</ref> an event which occurs every 50th year, and in several passages of chronology as an [[ordinal number]].{{efn-lr|As part of the phrase {{lang|grc|ἐπ᾽ αὐτὴν ἔτους πεντηκοστοῦ καὶ ἑκατοστοῦ}}<ref name="acadbible1mac6.20">{{cite web |title=Septuagint (LXX), 1 Maccabees 6:20 |website=academic-bible.com: The Scholarly Portal of the German Bible Society |publisher=German Bible Society |url=https://www.academic-bible.com/en/online-bibles/septuagint-lxx/read-the-bible-text/bibel/text/lesen/stelle/45/60001/69999/ch/d41d34ca2080867bd6761e2a9fcef7a9/ |access-date=9 June 2017}}</ref> ({{transliteration|grc|ep autēn etous pentēkastou kai hekatostou}}, "in the hundred and fiftieth year", or some variation of the phrase in combination with other numbers to define a precise number of years, and sometimes months. See: "... in the hundred and fiftieth year..." (1 Maccabees 6:20, KJV),<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Maccabees|6:20|KJV}}</ref> "In the hundred and one and fiftieth year..." (1 Maccabees 7:1, KJV),<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Maccabees|7:1}}</ref> " Also the first month of the hundred fifty and second year..." (1 Maccabees 9:3, KJV)<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Maccabees|9:3|KJV}}</ref> with other examples at 1 Maccabees 9:54 (KJV)<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Maccabees|9:54|KJV}}</ref> and 2 Maccabees 14:4 (KJV).<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Maccabees|14:4|KJV}}</ref><ref name="TDNT" />}} The term has also been used in the literature of [[Hellenistic Judaism]] by [[Philo of Alexandria]] and [[Josephus]] to refer to Shavuot.<ref name=BDAG />

== Background ==
{{see also|Shavuot}}
In [[Judaism]], Shavuot is a [[harvest festival]] that is celebrated seven weeks and one day after the first day of [[Passover]] in  Deuteronomy 16:9, or seven weeks and one day after the [[Sabbath]] according to Leviticus 23:16.<ref name=EDNT>{{Cite book |isbn=978-0-8028-2803-3 |last1=Balz |first1=Horst Robert |last2=Schneider |first2=Gerhard |title=Exegetical dictionary of the New Testament |date=1994}}</ref><ref name=keil>{{Cite book |publisher=Hendrickson Publishers |isbn=978-0-913573-88-4 |last1=Keil |first1=Carl Friedrich |last2=Delitzsch |first2=Franz |title=Commentary on the Old Testament |location=Peabody, Massachusetts |date=2011}}</ref><ref name=EBC>{{Cite book |publisher=Zondervan |isbn=978-0-310-36500-6 |last=Gaebelein |first=Frank E |title=The expositors Bible commentary with the New International Version of the Holy Bible in twelve volum |location=Grand Rapids, MI |date=1984}}</ref> It is discussed in the [[Mishnah]] and the [[Babylonian Talmud]], tractate [[Arakhin]]<ref>[http://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Arakhin.7 Mishnah Arakhin 7:1–9:8]; Tosefta Arakhin 5:1–19; [https://www.sefaria.org/Arakhin.24a Babylonian Talmud Arakhin 24a–34a].</ref> The actual mention of fifty days comes from  Leviticus 23:16.<ref name="auto" /><ref name=niv>{{Cite book |publisher=Zondervan |isbn=978-0-310-92605-4 |title=NIV archaeological study Bible an illustrated walk through biblical history and culture : New International Version. |location=Grand Rapids, Mich. |date=2005}}</ref> 

The Festival of Weeks is also known as the Feast of Harvest in  Exodus 23:16 and the Day of First Fruits in Numbers 28:26.<ref name=keil /> In Exodus 34:22, it is called the "first fruits of the wheat harvest."<ref name=EBC /> 

Sometime during the Hellenistic period, the ancient harvest festival also became a day of renewing the [[Seven laws of Noah|Noahic covenant]], described in [[Noach|Genesis 9:17]], which is established between God and "all flesh that is upon the earth".<ref name=jansen>{{Cite book| publisher = Oxford University Press| isbn = 978-0-19-504645-8| last = Jansen| first = John Frederick| editor1-first = Bruce M| editor1-last = Metzger| editor2-first = Michael D| editor2-last = Coogan| title = The Oxford Companion to the Bible| chapter = Pentecost| access-date = 2018-12-02| date = 1993| chapter-url = http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195046458.001.0001/acref-9780195046458-e-0560| doi = 10.1093/acref/9780195046458.001.0001| url-access = registration| url = https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780195046458}}</ref> After the [[Siege of Jerusalem (70 CE)|destruction of the Temple in 70 CE]], offerings could no longer be brought to the [[Temple in Jerusalem]] and the focus of the festival shifted from [[agriculture]] to the Israelites receiving the [[Torah]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/111377/jewish/Shavuot.htm|title=Shavuot - The Holiday of the Giving of the Torah - Chabad.org|website=chabad.org}}</ref> 

By this time, some Jews were already living in the [[Diaspora]]. According to {{Sourcetext|source=Bible|version=King James|book=Acts|chapter=2|verse=5|range=-11}} there were Jews from "every nation under heaven" in Jerusalem, possibly visiting the city as [[pilgrims]] during Pentecost.<ref name=ebcacts>{{Cite book| publisher = Zondervan| isbn = 978-0-310-53203-3| last = Longenecker| first = Richard N.| title = Acts| year= 2017 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gu8xDgAAQBAJ}}</ref>

== New Testament ==
<!--This section is linked from [[Order of the Star in the East]] (in footnote name "sacred day"). Please maintain this link if you rename or move this section. If the section is deleted, please try to replace link with similar, according to link context ([[MOS:HEAD]]). -->
[[File:Cenacle on Mount Zion.jpg|thumb|The [[Cenacle]] in [[Jerusalem]] is claimed to be the location of the [[Last Supper]] and Pentecost.<ref>{{Cite book |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-411-8843-4 |last1=Maʻoz |first1=Moshe |last2=Nusseibeh |first2=Sari |title=Jerusalem: Points Beyond Friction, and Beyond |date=2000}}</ref>]]
The narrative in [[Acts 2]] of the Pentecost includes numerous references to earlier biblical narratives like the [[Tower of Babel]], and the [[Genesis flood narrative|flood]] and [[Genesis creation narrative|creation]] narratives from the Book of Genesis. It also includes references to certain [[theophany|theophanies]], with certain emphasis on God's incarnate appearance on [[biblical Mount Sinai]] when the [[Ten Commandments]] were presented to [[Moses]].<ref name=jansen /> Theologian Stephen Wilson has described the narrative as "exceptionally obscure" and various points of disagreement persist among bible scholars.<ref name=gilbert>{{Cite journal| doi = 10.2307/3268158| issn = 0021-9231| volume = 121| issue = 3| pages = 497–529| last = Gilbert| first = Gary| title = The List of Nations in Acts 2: Roman Propaganda and the Lukan Response| journal = Journal of Biblical Literature| date = 2002| jstor = 3268158}}</ref>

Some biblical commentators have sought to establish that the {{lang|grc|οἶκος}} ("house") given as the location of the events in Acts 2:2 was one of the thirty halls of the Temple where St Johns school is now placed (called {{lang|grc|οἶκοι}}), but the text itself is lacking in specific details. [[Richard C. H. Lenski]] and other scholars contend that the author of Acts could have chosen the word {{lang|grc|ἱερόν}} (sanctuary or temple) if this meaning were intended, rather than "house".<ref name=ebcacts /><ref name=Lenski>{{Cite book| publisher = Augsburg Fortress| isbn = 978-1-4514-1677-0| last = Lenski| first = R. C. H.| title = Commentary on the New Testament: The Interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles 1-14| date = 2008}}</ref> Some semantic details suggest that the "house" could be the "upper room" ({{lang|grc|ὑπερῷον}}) mentioned in {{Sourcetext|source=Bible|version=King James|book=Acts|chapter=1|verse=12|range=-26}}, but there is no literary evidence to confirm the location with certainty and it remains a subject of dispute amongst scholars.<ref name=jansen /><ref name=ebcacts />

[[File:Schnorr_von_Carolsfeld_Bibel_in_Bildern_1860_226.png|thumb|Pentecost by [[Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld]] ]]
[[File:1472 map of Jerusalem by Hugo Comminelli and Pietro del Massaio 01.jpg|thumb|This 1472 [[Cartography of Jerusalem|map of Jerusalem]] notes the place of the Pentecost, ''Ubi apostoli acceperunt spiritum sanctum'', at the location of the [[Cenacle]].]]
The events of Acts Chapter 2 are set against the backdrop of the celebration of Pentecost in Jerusalem. There are several major features to the Pentecost narrative presented in the second chapter of the [[Acts of the Apostles]]. The author begins by noting that the disciples of Jesus "were all together in one place" on the "day of Pentecost" ({{lang|grc|ἡμέρα τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς}}).<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|2:1|ESV}}</ref> The verb used in Acts 2:1 to indicate the arrival of the day of Pentecost carries a connotation of fulfillment.<ref name=Lenski /><ref name=vine>{{Cite book| publisher = Thomas Nelson Incorporated| isbn = 978-0-7852-5054-8| last = Vine| first = W. E.| title = Vine's Expository Dictionary of the Old & New Testament Words| year = 2003}}</ref><ref name=Calvin>{{Cite book|last=Calvin |first=John |title = Commentary on Acts – Volume 1 – Christian Classics Ethereal Library| access-date = 2018-12-02| url = https://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom36.ix.i.html}}</ref>

There is a "mighty rushing wind" (wind is a common symbol for the Holy Spirit)<ref name=Calvin /><ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|2:2|ESV}}</ref> and "tongues as of fire" appear.<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|2:3|NABRE}}</ref> The gathered disciples were "filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance".<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|2:4|ESV}}</ref> Some scholars have interpreted the passage as a reference to the multitude of languages spoken by the gathered disciples,<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|2:6–11|NABRE}}</ref> while others have taken the reference to "tongues" ({{lang|grc|γλῶσσαι}}) to signify [[speaking in tongues|ecstatic speech]].<ref name=gilbert /><ref>{{bibleverse|1 Corinthians|14|ESV}}</ref> 

In Christian tradition, this event represents fulfillment of the promise that Christ will [[baptize]] his followers with the Holy Spirit.<ref name=Lenski /><ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|1:5|ESV}}, {{bibleverse|John|14:16–17}}</ref> Out of the four New Testament gospels, the distinction between baptism by water and the baptism by Christ with "Holy Spirit and fire" is only found in [[The Book of Matthew|Matthew]] and Luke.<ref>{{bibleverse|Luke|3:16|ESV}}</ref><ref>''Expositor's Bible Commentary''</ref>

The narrative in Acts evokes the symbolism of Jesus' baptism in the [[Jordan River]], and the start of his ministry, by explicitly connecting the earlier prophecy of [[John the Baptist]] to the baptism of the disciples with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.<ref name=ebcacts /><ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|1:5|ESV}}, {{bibleverse|Acts|11:16|ESV}}</ref> The timing of the narrative during the law giving festival of Pentecost symbolizes both continuity with the giving of the law, but also the central role of the Holy Spirit for the early church. The central role of Christ in Christian faith signified a fundamental theological separation from the traditional Jewish faith, which was grounded in the Torah and Mosaic Law.<ref name=ebcacts />

Peter's sermon in {{Sourcetext|source=Bible|version=King James|book=Acts|chapter=2|verse=14|range=–36}} stresses the [[Resurrection of Jesus|resurrection]] and [[Session of Christ|exaltation]].<ref name=isbe /> In his sermon, Peter quotes [[Joel 2:28–32]] and [[Psalm 16]] to indicate that first Pentecost marks the start of the [[Messianic Age]]. About one hundred and twenty followers of Christ (Acts 1:15) were present, including the Twelve Apostles ([[Saint Matthias|Matthias]] was [[Judas]]' replacement) (Acts 1:13, 26), Jesus' mother Mary, other female disciples and his brothers ({{bibleref2|Acts|1:14|KJV}}). While those on whom the Spirit had descended were speaking in many languages, the [[Saint Peter|Apostle Peter]] stood up with the [[Apostles in the New Testament|eleven]] and proclaimed to the crowd that this event was the fulfillment of the prophecy.<ref>{{bibleverse|Joel|2:28–29|ESV}}</ref> 

In [[Acts 2#Verses 16–21|Acts 2:17]], it reads: "'And in the last days,' God says, 'I will pour out my spirit upon every sort of flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy and your young men will see visions and your old men will dream dreams." He also mentions ([[Acts 2:15]]) that it was the third hour of the day (about 9:00&nbsp;am). [[Acts 2:41]] then reports: "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls."<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|2:41|ESV}}</ref> 

Critical scholars believe some features of the narrative are theological constructions. Scholars believe that even if the Pentecost narrative is not literally true, it does signify an important event in the history of the early church which enabled the rapid spread of Christianity. Within a few decades important congregations had been established in all major cities of the Roman Empire.<ref name=isbe />

Biblical commentator [[Richard C. H. Lenski]] has noted that the use of the term "Pentecost" in Acts is a reference to the Jewish festival. He writes that a well-defined, distinct Christian celebration did not exist until later years, when Christians kept the name of "Pentecost" but began to calculate the date of the feast based on Easter rather than Passover.<ref name=Lenski />

Peter stated that this event was the beginning of a continual outpouring that would be available to all believers from that point on, Jews and Gentiles alike.<ref>{{bibleverse||Acts|2:39|KJV}}</ref>

== Liturgical celebration ==
{{More citations needed|section|date=May 2018}}
=== Eastern churches ===
{{Liturgical year}}In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], Pentecost is one of the Orthodox [[Great Feasts]] and is considered to be the highest ranking Great Feast of the Lord, second in rank only to [[Easter|Pascha]] (Easter). The service is celebrated with an [[All-night Vigil]] on the [[Yesterday (time)|eve]] of the [[feast day]], and the [[Divine Liturgy]] on the day of the feast itself. [[Eastern Orthodox church architecture|Orthodox churches]] are often decorated with greenery and flowers on this feast day, and the celebration is intentionally similar to the Jewish holiday of [[Shavuot]], which celebrates the giving of the [[Mosaic Law]]. In the [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria]], Pentecost is one of the seven Major "Lord's Feasts". 

The feast itself lasts three days. The first day is known as "[[Trinity Sunday]]"; the second day is known as "[[Spirit Monday]]" (or "Monday of the Holy Spirit"); and the third day, Tuesday, is called the "[[Third Day of the Trinity]]."<ref>{{cite web |author=All troparia and kontakia · All lives of saints |url=http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=47 |title=Trinity Week – 3rd Day of the Trinity |publisher=Ocafs.oca.org |access-date=2013-12-21}}</ref> The [[Afterfeast]] of Pentecost lasts for one week, during which [[fasting]] is not permitted, even on Wednesday and Friday. In the Orthodox [[Sacred Tradition|Tradition]], the [[liturgical color]] used at Pentecost is [[green]], and the clergy and faithful carry flowers and green branches in their hands during the services.

All of the remaining days of the [[ecclesiastical year]], until the preparation for the next [[Great Lent]], are named for the day after Pentecost on which they occur (for example, the 13th Tuesday after Pentecost). (There is one exception: for some reason, the [[Melkite Greek Catholic Church]] begins marking Sundays "after [[Feast of the Cross|Holy Cross]]".)

The Orthodox [[icon]] of the feast depicts the Twelve Apostles seated in a semicircle (sometimes the [[Theotokos]] (Virgin Mary) is shown sitting in the center of them). At the top of the icon, the Holy Spirit, in the form of tongues of fire, is descending upon them. At the bottom is an [[allegory|allegorical]] figure, called ''[[Cosmos|Kosmos]]'', which symbolizes the world. Although Kosmos is crowned with earthly glory he sits in the darkness caused by the ignorance of God. He is holding a towel on which have been placed 12 scrolls, representing the teaching of the Twelve Apostles.

==== Kneeling Prayer ====
An extraordinary service called the "Kneeling Prayer" is observed on the night of Pentecost. This is a [[Great Vespers|Vespers]] service to which are added three sets of long poetical prayers, the composition of [[Basil the Great]], during which everyone makes a full [[Genuflection#Orthodox Christianity|prostration]], touching their foreheads to the floor (prostrations in church having been forbidden from the day of [[Easter|Pascha]] (Easter) up to this point). Uniquely, these prayers include a petition for all of those in hell, that they may be granted relief and even ultimate release from their confinement, if God deems this possible.<ref>[http://www.stnicholaspdx.org/2004/06/02/25.pentecost-prayers-of-kneeling/ Pentecost{{snd}}Prayers of Kneeling] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102021042/http://www.stnicholaspdx.org/2004/06/02/25.pentecost-prayers-of-kneeling/ |date=2013-11-02 }}. See the third prayer.</ref> In the [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria]], it is observed at the time of ninth hour (3:00&nbsp;pm) on the Sunday of Pentecost.

==== Apostles' Fast ====
{{main|Apostles' Fast}}
The Second Monday after Pentecost is the beginning of the Apostles' Fast (which continues until the [[Feast of Saints Peter and Paul]] on June 29). Theologically, Orthodox do not consider Pentecost to be the "birthday" of the church; they see the church as having existed before the creation of the world (cf. ''[[The Shepherd of Hermas]]'')<ref>''[[Patrologia Graecae]]'', 35:1108–9.</ref> In the [[Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria]], the "Apostles Fast" has a fixed end date on the fifth of the Coptic month of Epip [which currently falls on July 12, which is equivalent to June 29, due to the current 13-day Julian-Gregorian calendar offset]. The fifth of Epip is the commemoration of the Martyrdom of St. Peter and Paul.

=== Western churches ===
[[File:Duccio di Buoninsegna 018.jpg|thumb|alt=A typical Western image of the Pentecost. [[Duccio di Buoninsegna]] (1308) [[Tempera]] on wood.| A typical Western image of the Pentecost. [[Duccio di Buoninsegna]] (1308).]]
The liturgical celebrations of Pentecost in [[Western Christianity|Western churches]] are as rich and varied as those in the East. The typical image of Pentecost in the West is that of the [[Virgin Mary]] seated centrally and prominently among the disciples with flames resting on the crowns of their heads. Occasionally, parting clouds suggesting the action of the "mighty wind",<ref name="bibleverse|Acts|2:2|KJV" /> rays of light and the Dove are also depicted. the Western iconographic style is less static and stylized than that of the East, and other very different representations have been produced, and, in some cases, have achieved great fame such as the Pentecosts by [[Titian]], [[Giotto]], and [[el Greco]].

[[Paul of Tarsus|St. Paul]] already in the 1st century notes the importance of this festival to the [[early Christian]] communities. (See: {{bibleref2|Acts|20:16}} & {{bibleref2|1 Corinthians|16:8}}) Since the lifetime of some who may have been eyewitnesses, annual celebrations of the descent of the Holy Spirit have been observed. Before the [[Second Vatican Council]] [[Whitmonday|Pentecost Monday]] as well was a [[Holy Day of Obligation]] during which the Catholic Church addressed the newly baptized and confirmed. After the council, Pentecost Monday is no longer solemnized.

Pentecost Monday remains an official festival in many Protestant churches, such as the (Lutheran) [[Church of Sweden]], the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland]], and others. In the [[Greek Byzantine Catholic Church|Byzantine Catholic Rite]] Pentecost Monday is no longer a [[Holy Day of Obligation]], but rather a simple [[holiday]]. In the Extraordinary Form of the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church, as at Easter, the [[Ranks of Catholic liturgical days|liturgical rank]] of Monday and Tuesday of Pentecost week is a Double of the First Class<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15614b.htm |title=Catholic Encyclopedia: Pentecost |publisher=Newadvent.org |date=1912-10-01 |access-date=2010-05-17}}</ref> and across many Western denominations, Pentecost is celebrated with an [[Octave (liturgical)|octave]] culminating on [[Trinity Sunday]]. However, in the modern Roman Rite (Ordinary Form), Pentecost ends after Evening Prayer on the feast day itself, with [[Ordinary Time]] resuming the next day.

[[File:Pentecost 01.jpg|thumb|The Pentecost depicted in a 14th-century [[Missal]]]]

Marking the festival's importance, as the principal feast of the church and the fulfilment of Christ's purpose in coming into the world, namely bringing the Holy Spirit which had departed with Adam and Eve's fall, back into the world, all 33 following Sundays are "Sundays after Pentecost" in the Orthodox Church. In several denominations, such as the Lutheran, Episcopal, and [[United Methodist]] churches, and formerly in the Roman Catholic Church, all the Sundays from the holiday itself until [[Advent]] in late November or December are designated the 2nd, 3rd, Nth, Sunday after Pentecost, etc. Throughout the year, in Roman Catholic piety, Pentecost is the third of the [[Glorious Mysteries]] of the [[Rosary|Holy Rosary]], as well as being one of the [[Stations of the Resurrection]] or Via Lucis.

In some [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical]] and [[Pentecostal]] churches, where there is less emphasis on the [[liturgical year]], Pentecost may still be one of the greatest celebrations in the year, such as in [[Germany]] or [[Romania]]. In other cases, Pentecost may be ignored as a holy day in these churches. In many evangelical churches in the United States, the secular holiday, [[Mother's Day]], may be more celebrated than the biblical feast of Pentecost.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.churchyear.net/pentecost.html |title=Pentecost: All About Pentecost (Whitsunday)! |publisher=ChurchYear.net |access-date=2010-05-17}}</ref> Some evangelicals and Pentecostals are observing the liturgical calendar and observe Pentecost as a day to teach the [[Gifts of the Holy Spirit]].{{clarify|Note that this says just the opposite of the first sentence|date=December 2012}}

Across denominational lines Pentecost has been an opportunity for Christians to honor the role of the Holy Spirit in their lives, and celebrate the birth of the Christian Church in an [[ecumenical]] context.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.themint.org.uk/yPhoto086_PentecostPicnic2009.html |title=Pentecost Picnic 2009 |publisher=Themint.org.uk |access-date=2010-05-17}} {{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==== Red symbolism ====
[[File:Pentecost Altar.jpg|thumb|A Protestant church altar, decorated for Pentecost with red burning candles and red banners and altar cloth depicting the movement of the Holy Spirit]]
The main sign of Pentecost in the West is the colour red. It symbolizes joy and the fire of the Holy Spirit.

Priests or ministers, and choirs wear red [[vestments]], and in modern times, the custom has extended to the [[laity|lay people]] of the congregation wearing red clothing in celebration as well. Red banners are often hung from walls or ceilings to symbolize the blowing of the "mighty wind"<ref name="bibleverse|Acts|2:2|KJV">{{bibleverse|Acts|2:2|KJV}}</ref> and the free movement of the Spirit.<ref>{{bibleverse|John|3:8|KJV}}</ref>

In some cases, red fans, or red handkerchiefs, are distributed to the congregation to be waved during the procession, etc. Other congregations have incorporated the use of red balloons, signifying the "Birthday of the Church". These may be borne by the congregants, decorate the sanctuary, or released all at once.

==== Flowers, fruits, and branches ====
[[File:Protestant Altar Pentecost Red Flowers Green Birch.jpg|thumb|alt=A Protestant church altar and font, decorated for Pentecost with red flowering plants and green birch branches|A Protestant church altar and font, decorated for Pentecost with red flowering plants and green birch branches]]
The celebrations may depict symbols of the Holy Spirit, such as the dove or flames, symbols of the church such as [[Noah's Ark]] and the [[Pomegranate]], or especially within Protestant churches of [[Reformed tradition|Reformed]] and [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical]] traditions, words rather than images naming for example, the [[Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit|gifts]] and [[Fruits of the Spirit]]. Red flowers at the altar/preaching area, and red flowering plants such as [[geraniums]] around the church are also typical decorations for Pentecost masses/services.<ref name="stcatherineofsweden1"/>

These symbolize the renewal of life, the coming of the warmth of summer, and the growth of the church at and from the first Pentecost.<ref name="stcatherineofsweden1">{{cite web |url=http://www.stcatherineofsweden.org/BULLETIN.htm |title=St. Catherine of Sweden Roman Catholic Church – Bulletin |publisher=StCatherineofSweden.org |access-date=2010-05-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090829002010/http://www.stcatherineofsweden.org/BULLETIN.htm |archive-date=2009-08-29 }}</ref> In the southern hemisphere, for example, in southern Australia, Pentecost comes in the mellow autumntide, after the often great heat of summer, and the red leaves of the poinsettia have often been used to decorate churches then.

These flowers often play an important role in the ancestral rites, and other rites, of the particular congregation. For example, in both Protestant and Catholic churches, the plants brought in to decorate for the holiday may be each "sponsored" by individuals in memory of a particular loved one, or in honor of a living person on a significant occasion, such as their [[Confirmation]] day.<ref name="stcatherineofsweden1" />

In [[German language in Europe|German-speaking]] and other [[Central Europe]]an countries, and also in overseas congregations originating from these countries through migration, green branches are also traditionally used to decorate churches for Pentecost. [[Birch]] is the tree most typically associated with this practice in Europe, but other species are employed in different climates.{{Citation needed|date=June 2019}}

==== Lowering of doves ====
[[File:St.Peter und Paul in Söll - Heilig-Geist-Loch.jpg|thumb|Holy Ghost hole, Saints Peter and Paul Church in [[Söll]]]]
In the [[Middle Ages]], cathedrals and great churches throughout Western Europe were fitted with a peculiar architectural feature known as a [[Holy Ghost hole]]: a small circular opening in the roof that symbolized the entrance of the Holy Spirit into the midst of the congregation. At Pentecost, these Holy Ghost holes would be decorated with flowers, and sometimes a dove figure lowered through into the church while the narrative of Pentecost was read. Holy Ghost holes can still be seen today in European churches such as [[Canterbury Cathedral]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=May 2012|title=Seeing red, and other symbols of Pentecost - On The Way e-zine|url=http://www.ontheway.us/may-2012/seeing-red-and-other-symbols-of-pentecost|access-date=2021-12-02|website=www.ontheway.us|quote=In the Middle Ages, cathedrals and great churches were built with a peculiar architectural feature called the Holy Ghost hole, a small portal in the roof through which the Holy Spirit could descend to reside among the assembled worshippers. As part of the Pentecost celebration, the hole was adorned with flowers and often a lowly servant on the cathedral roof would lower the figure of a dove through the roof into the nave of the church while the Acts account of Pentecost was read. England's Canterbury Cathedral, Mother Church of the Anglican Communion, is one church where a Holy Ghost hole can be seen today.|archive-date=2021-12-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211228211404/http://ww38.ontheway.us/may-2012/seeing-red-and-other-symbols-of-pentecost|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Similarly, a large two dimensional dove figure would be, and in some places still is, cut from wood, painted, and decorated with flowers, to be lowered over the congregation, particularly during the singing of the [[sequence (poetry)|sequence hymn]], or ''[[Veni Creator Spiritus]]''. In other places, particularly [[Sicily]] and the [[Italy|Italian peninsula]], [[Rosalia (festival)#Rose Sundays|rose petals]] were and are thrown from the galleries over the congregation, recalling the tongues of fire. (see [[#Rosalia|below]]) In modern times, this practice has been revived, and adapted as well, to include the strewing of [[origami]] doves from above or suspending them, sometimes by the hundreds, from the ceiling.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ecva.org/congregations/resources/trinity_bloomington_pentecost/trinity_pentecost.htm |title=The Episcopal Church and Visual Arts |publisher=Ecva.org |access-date=2010-05-17}}</ref>

==== Hymns and music ====
The singing of Pentecost hymns is also central to the celebration in the Western tradition. Hymns such as [[Martin Luther]]'s "[[Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott]]" (Come, Holy Spirit, God and Lord),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lutheran-hymnal.com/online/tlh2.html |title=200–299 TLH Hymns |publisher=Lutheran-hymnal.com |access-date=2010-05-17 |archive-date=2020-08-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813020306/http://www.lutheran-hymnal.com/online/tlh2.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lutheran-hymnal.com/lyrics/tlh224.htm |title=Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord |publisher=Lutheran-hymnal.com |access-date=2010-05-17 |archive-date=2011-07-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714002912/http://www.lutheran-hymnal.com/lyrics/tlh224.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Charles Wesley]]'s "Spirit of Faith Come Down"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hymnsite.com/lection/cpe01.htm |title=HymnSite.com's Suggested Hymns for the Day of Pentecost (Year C) |publisher=Hymnsite.com |access-date=2010-05-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/s/p/spifaith.htm |title=Spirit of Faith, Come Down |publisher=Hymntime.com |access-date=2010-05-17 }} {{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and "Come Holy Ghost Our Hearts Inspire"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/c/o/comehgoh.htm |title=Come, Holy Ghost, Our Hearts Inspire |publisher=Hymntime.com |access-date=2010-05-17 }} {{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> or [[Hildegard von Bingen]]'s "O Holy Spirit Root of Life"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hymnsite.com/fws/hymn.cgi?2121 |title=O Holy Spirit, Root of Life |publisher=Hymnsite.com |access-date=2010-05-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hymnary.org/text/o_holy_spirit_root_of_life |title=Texts > O Holy Spirit, root of life |publisher=Hymnary.org |access-date=2010-05-17}}</ref> are popular. Some traditional hymns of Pentecost make reference not only to themes relating to the Holy Spirit or the church, but to folk customs connected to the holiday as well, such as the decorating with green branches.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hymnary.com/ccel/aaberg/hymnsdenmark.c15.html |title=Hymns and Hymnwriters of Denmark &#124; Christian Classics Ethereal Library |publisher=Hymnary.com |date=2009-08-11 |access-date=2010-05-17 |archive-date=2021-12-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211228211405/https://hymnary.org/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Other hymns include "Oh that I had a Thousand Voices" ("''O daß ich tausend Zungen hätte''")<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/o/t/othatiha.htm |title=O That I Had a Thousand Voices |publisher=Hymntime.com |access-date=2010-05-17 }} {{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ingeb.org/spiritua/odassich.html |title=O daß ich tausend Zungen hätte gospel christian songs free mp3 midi download |publisher=Ingeb.org |access-date=2010-05-17}}</ref> by German, Johann Mentzer Verse 2: "''Ye forest leaves so green and tender, that dance for joy in summer air''…" or "O Day Full of Grace" ("''Den signede Dag''")<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lutheranhymnal.com/lutheranworship/lutheranworship0mo.html |title=Lutheran Worship Online Hymnal – section MO |publisher=Lutheranhymnal.com |access-date=2010-05-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714002901/http://www.lutheranhymnal.com/lutheranworship/lutheranworship0mo.html |archive-date=2011-07-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref> by [[Kingdom of Denmark|Dane]], [[N. F. S. Grundtvig]] verse 3: "''Yea were every tree endowed with speech and every leaflet singing''…".

As Pentecost closes the Easter Season in the Roman Catholic Church, the dismissal with the double alleluia is sung at the end of Mass.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ewtn.com/library/Liturgy/zlitur216.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=2017-05-31 |archive-date=2017-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726151442/http://ewtn.com/library/Liturgy/zlitur216.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Paschal Candle is removed from the sanctuary at the end of the day.
In the Roman Catholic Church, [[Veni Sancte Spiritus]] is the [[Sequence (poetry)|sequence hymn]] for the Day of Pentecost. This has been translated into many languages and is sung in many denominations today. As an invocation of the Holy Spirit, [[Veni Creator Spiritus]] is sung during liturgical celebrations on the feast of Pentecost.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/m/a/u/maurus_r.htm |title=Rhabanus Maurus |publisher=Hymntime.com |access-date=2010-05-17 |archive-date=2011-07-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712233538/http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/m/a/u/maurus_r.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15341a.htm |title=Catholic Encyclopedia: Veni Creator Spiritus |publisher=Newadvent.org |date=1912-10-01 |access-date=2010-05-17}}</ref>

Trumpeters or [[brass instrument|brass ensembles]] are often specially contracted to accompany singing and provide special music at Pentecost services, recalling the Sound of the mighty wind.<ref name="bibleverse|Acts|2:2|KJV" /> While this practice is common among a wide spectrum of Western denominations (Eastern Churches do not employ instrumental accompaniment in their worship) it is particularly typical, and distinctive to the heritage of the [[Moravian Church music|Moravian]] Church.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.moravianmusic.org/ |title=Moravian Music Foundation |publisher=MoravianMusic.org |access-date=2010-05-17}}</ref>

Another custom is reading the appointed Scripture lessons in multiple foreign languages recounting the speaking in tongues recorded in {{bibleref2|Acts|2:4–12}}.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/todancewithgodfa00nels |url-access=registration |title=To Dance With God: Family Ritual and Community Celebration |page=[https://archive.org/details/todancewithgodfa00nels/page/193 193] |first=Gertrud Muller |last=Nelson |year=1986 |publisher=Paulist Press |isbn=978-0-8091-2812-9 |access-date=2010-05-17}}</ref>

==== Fasting and devotions ====
For some [[Protestants]], the nine days between [[Ascension Day]], and Pentecost are set aside as a time of [[fasting]] and universal prayer in honour of the disciples' time of prayer and unity awaiting the Holy Spirit. Similarly among [[Roman Catholics]], special Pentecost [[novenas]] are prayed. The Pentecost Novena is considered the first novena, all other novenas prayed in preparation of various feasts deriving their practice from those original nine days of prayer observed by the disciples of Christ.

While the Eve of Pentecost was traditionally a day of fasting for Catholics, contemporary [[canon law]] no longer requires it. Both Catholics and Protestants may hold spiritual [[retreats]], prayer [[vigil]]s, and [[litanies]] in the days leading up to Pentecost. In some cases vigils on the Eve of Pentecost may last all night. Pentecost is also one of the occasions specially appointed for the Lutheran Litany to be sung.<ref>{{cite web |author=(P. Drews.) |url=http://www.ccel.org/s/schaff/encyc/encyc06/htm/iii.lxxiv.xvi.htm |title=Litany |publisher=Ccel.org |access-date=2010-05-17}}</ref>

On the morning of Pentecost, a popular custom is "to ascend hill tops and mountains during the early dawn of Whitsunday to pray. People call this observance 'catching the Holy Ghost.' Thus they express in symbolic language the spiritual fact that only by means of prayer can the divine Dove be 'caught' and the graces of the Holy Spirit obtained."<ref name="Wesier1956">{{cite book |last1=Weiser |first1=Francis X. |title=The Holyday Book |date=1956 |publisher=Harcourt, Brace and Company |pages=44–45}}</ref>

Another custom is for families to suspend "artfully carved and painted wooden doves, representing the Holy Spirit" over the dining tables as "a constant reminder for members of the family to venerate the Holy Spirit."<ref name="Wesier1956"/> These are left hanging year-round and are cleaned before the feast of Pentecost, often being "encased in a globe of glass".<ref name="Wesier1956"/>

On the vigil of Pentecost, a traditional custom is practiced, in which "flowers, fields, and fruit trees" are blessed.<ref name="Wesier1956"/>

==== 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.

=== Rosalia ===
{{further|Rosalia (festival)#Rose Sundays}}
A popular tradition arose in both west and east of decorating the church with roses on Pentecost, leading to a popular designation of Pentecost as {{lang-la|Festa Rosalia}} or "Rose Feast"; in Greek this became {{lang|el|ρουσάλια}} ({{transliteration|el|rousália}}).<ref name="byzcatharchpittspent">{{cite web |author=<!--Staff writers, no byline--> |title=Byzantine Catholics and the Feast Of Pentecost: "Your good Spirit shall lead me into the land of righteousness. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!" |website=archpitt.org |publisher=Byzantine Catholic Archdiocese of Pittsburgh |url=http://www.archpitt.org/byzantine-catholics-and-the-feast-of-pentecost-your-good-spirit-shall-lead-me-into-the-land-of-righteousness-alleluia-alleluia-alleluia/ |access-date=9 June 2017|date=2015-12-28 }}</ref> This led to ''Rusalii'' becoming the [[Romanian language]] term for the feast, as well as the [[Neapolitan language|Neapolitan]] popular designation ''Pasca rusata'' ("rosey Easter").{{citation needed|date=October 2017}}<!-- WP:RS needed; removed link to WP--> In modern times, the term in Greek refers to the eve of Pentecost, not Pentecost itself; or, in the case of [[Megara]] in [[Attica]], to the Monday and Tuesday after ''Pascha'',<ref name="endemicgreekrousalia">{{cite web |website=Enacademic.com – Greek Dictionary |title=ρουσάλια |trans-title=rousalia |language=el |url=http://greek_greek.enacademic.com/150108/%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%85%CF%83%CE%AC%CE%BB%CE%B9%CE%B1}}</ref> as roses are often used during the whole liturgical season of the [[Pentecostarion]], not just Pentecost. [[John Chrysostom]] warned his flock not to allow this custom to replace spiritually adorning themselves with virtue in reception of the [[Fruits of the Holy Spirit]].<ref name="byzcatharchpittspent" />

== Mariology ==
A secular iconography in both Western and Eastern Churches reflects the belief of the presence of the [[Blessed Virgin Mary]] on the day of Pentecost and her central role in the divine concession of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles.
{{bibleverse|Acts|1.14}} confirms the presence of the Mother of Jesus with the Twelve in a spiritual communion of daily prayer. It is the unique reference to the Mother of God after Jesus' entrusting to [[John the Apostle]] during the [[Crucifixion of Jesus|Crucifixion]].

According to that iconographic tradition, the Latin encyclical ''[[Mystici Corporis Christi]]'' officially stated: 
{{blockquote
|She it was through her powerful prayers obtained that the spirit of our Divine Redeemer, already given on the Cross, should be bestowed, accompanied by miraculous gifts, on the newly founded Church at Pentecost; and finally, bearing with courage and confidence the tremendous burden of her sorrows and desolation, she, truly the Queen of Martyrs, more than all the faithful "filled up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ...for His Body, which is the Church"; and she continues to have for the Mystical Body of Christ, born of the pierced Heart of the Savior, the same motherly care and ardent love with which she cherished and fed the Infant Jesus in the crib.
|author= [[Pope Pius XII]]
|title= ''Mystici Corporis Christi'', 2 March 1943<ref>{{cite web | author = Pope Pius XII | url = http://www.vatican.va/content/pius-xii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_29061943_mystici-corporis-christi.html | title = Encyclical "Mystici Corporis Christi" | date = March 2, 1943 | website = Holy See | publisher = [[Libreria Editrice Vaticana]]}}</ref>
}}
The Catholic and the Orthodox Churches accord the [[Mother of God]] a special form of veneration called ''[[Veneration#Catholicism and Orthodoxy|hyperdulia]]''. It corresponds to the special power of [[Intercession of saints|intercessory]] prayers dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary over those of all saints. Popes have stated that Mary prayed to God and her intercession was capable to persuade God to send the Holy Spirit as a permanent gift to the Twelve and their successors, thus forming the Apostolic Church.

In a similar way, [[Pope John Paul II]] in the general audience held in Vatican on May 28, 1997, affirmed:
{{blockquote|Retracing the course of the Virgin Mary’s life, the Second Vatican Council recalls her presence in the community waiting for Pentecost. “But since it had pleased God not to manifest solemnly the mystery of the salvation of the human race before he would pour forth the Spirit promised by Christ, we see the Apostles before the day of Pentecost ‘persevering with one mind in prayer with the women and Mary the Mother of Jesus, and with his brethren’ (Acts 1:14), and we also see Mary by her prayers imploring the gift of the Spirit, who had already overshadowed her in the Annunciation” ([[Lumen gentium]], n.59). The first community is the prelude to the birth of the Church; the Blessed Virgin’s presence helps to sketch her definitive features, a fruit of the gift of Pentecost. [...]
In contemplating Mary’s powerful intercession as she waits for the Holy Spirit, Christians of every age have frequently had recourse to her intercession on the long and tiring journey to salvation, in order to receive the gifts of the Paraclete in greater abundance. [...]
In the Church and for the Church, mindful of Jesus’ promise, she waits for Pentecost and implores a multiplicity of gifts for everyone, in accordance with each one's personality and mission.|Pope John Paul II, ''General Audience'', 28 May 1997, Rome<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/it/audiences/1997/documents/hf_jp-ii_aud_28051997.html | title = General audience of Wednestay 28 May 1997 | publisher = [[Libreria Editrice Vaticana]] | website = Holy See | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200830120535/http://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/audiences/1997/documents/hf_jp-ii_aud_28051997.html | archive-date = August 30, 2020 | url-status = live}}</ref>}}
The Marian intercessory prayer is dated to the day before Pentecost; while it is not explicitly stated that she was with the Apostles, it is in consideration of the fact she was called “full of grace” by the [[Archangel Gabriel]] at the [[Annunciation]]. 


Mary’s special relationship with the Holy Spirit and her presence at Pentecost gave way to one of her devotional titles being “Mother of the Church”. In 2018 Pope Francis designated the Monday after Pentecost each year as the feast of Mary, Mother of the Church.

== Music ==
[[List of hymns for Pentecost|Several hymns were written and composed for Pentecost]], the earliest in use today being ''[[Veni Creator Spiritus]]'' in (Come, Creator Spirit), attributed to the 9th-century [[Rabanus Maurus]], and translated throughout the centuries in different languages.

This one and some more are suitable also for other occasions imploring the Holy Spirit, such as [[Ordination in the Catholic Church|ordinations]] and [[coronation]]s, as well as the beginning of school years.

=== Classical compositions ===
{{More citations needed|section|date=May 2018}}
The [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] church of the [[Baroque]] observed three days of Pentecost. Some composers wrote sacred [[cantata]]s to be performed in the church services of these days. [[Johann Sebastian Bach]] composed several [[Bach cantata|cantatas]] for [[List of church cantatas by liturgical occasion#Pentecost|Pentecost]], including [[Erschallet, ihr Lieder, erklinget, ihr Saiten! BWV 172|''Erschallet, ihr Lieder, erklinget, ihr Saiten!'' BWV 172]], in 1714 and [[Also hat Gott die Welt geliebt, BWV 68|''Also hat Gott die Welt geliebt'', BWV 68]], in 1725. [[Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel]] wrote cantatas such as ''Werdet voll Geistes'' (Get full of spirit) in 1737.<ref>[http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/May05/Stolzel_9998762.htm Cantatas for Pentecost] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629165554/http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/May05/Stolzel_9998762.htm |date=2011-06-29 }} review of the 2002 recording by Johan van Veen, 2005</ref> Mozart composed an antiphon ''[[Veni Sancte Spiritus (Mozart)|Veni Sancte Spiritus]]'' in 1768.

Gustav Mahler composed a setting of Maurus' hymn "Veni, Creator Spiritus" as the first part of his Symphony No. 8, premiered in 1910.

[[Olivier Messiaen]] composed an organ mass ''[[Messe de la Pentecôte]]'' in 1949/50. In 1964 [[Fritz Werner]] wrote an [[oratorio]] for Pentecost ''Veni, sancte spiritus'' (Come, Holy Spirit) on the sequence ''[[Veni Sancte Spiritus]]'', and [[Jani Christou]] wrote ''Tongues of Fire'', a Pentecost oratorio. [[Richard Hillert]] wrote a ''Motet for the Day of Pentecost'' for choir, vibraphone, and prepared electronic tape in 1969. [[Violeta Dinescu]] composed ''Pfingstoratorium'', an oratorio for Pentecost for five soloists, mixed chorus and small orchestra in 1993. Daniel Elder's 21st century piece, "Factus est Repente", for a cappella choir, was premiered in 2013.

== Regional customs and traditions ==
{{further|Green week|Rosalia (festival)#Rose Sundays}}
[[File:Pentecost in Tavna Monastery, Bijeljina.jpg|thumb|285x285px|Pentecost in [[Tavna Monastery]], [[Bijeljina]]]]
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, the feast is called ''Pasqua rosatum''. The [[Italian language|Italian]] name ''Pasqua rossa'' comes from the red colours of the vestments used on Whitsunday.<ref name=Kellner>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/heortologyhistor00kelluoft|title=Heortology; a history of the Christian festivals from their origin to the present day|first=Karl Adam Heinrich|last=Kellner|date=May 11, 1908|publisher=London, K. Paul, Trench, Trübner & co., limited|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

In [[France]] it was customary to blow [[trumpet]]s during Mass, to recall the sound of the mighty wind which accompanied the Descent of the Holy Spirit.<ref name=Kellner />

In the northwest of [[England]], church and chapel parades called Whit Walks take place at Whitsun (sometimes on [[Whit Friday]], the Friday after Whitsun).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.whitfriday.brassbands.saddleworth.org/Walks.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509141436/http://www.whitfriday.brassbands.saddleworth.org/Walks.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2008-05-09 |title=Whit Friday: Whit Walks |publisher=Whitfriday.brassbands.saddleworth.org |date=2011-06-18 |access-date=2013-12-21}}</ref> Typically, the parades contain brass bands and choirs; girls attending are dressed in white. Traditionally, Whit Fairs (sometimes called Whitsun Ales)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://feastsandfestivals.blogspot.com/2010/05/23-may-whitsun-ales.html |title='Feasts and Festivals': 23 May: Whitsun Ales |publisher=Feastsandfestivals.blogspot.com |date=2010-05-23 |access-date=2013-12-21}}</ref> took place. Other customs such as [[morris dancing]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cs.nott.ac.uk/~ef/forester/BBCTranscript.htm |title= Foresters Morris Men|website=www.cs.nott.ac.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927112717/http://www.cs.nott.ac.uk/~ef/forester/BBCTranscript.htm |archive-date=September 27, 2011}}</ref> and [[cheese rolling]]<ref name=BBC2005>{{cite web |title=Cheese Rolling |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/content/articles/2005/05/30/cheese_rolling_2005_feature.shtml |publisher=BBC |date=30 May 2005 |access-date=31 May 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303043434/http://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/content/articles/2005/05/30/cheese_rolling_2005_feature.shtml |archive-date=3 March 2012 |df=dmy-all}}.</ref> are also associated with Whitsun.

In [[Finland]] there is a saying known virtually by everyone which translates as "if one has no sweetheart until Pentecost, he/she will not have it during the whole summer."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.trinityinthevalley.com/trinity-lutheran-blog/2018/8/2/did-you-ever-wonder-about-famous-lutherans-k55z5-brh87-bsmjr-648cc-3fkpl-gml4n|title=Did You Ever Wonder... about Pentecost Traditions?|website=Trinity Lutheran Church|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-17}}</ref>

In [[Port Vila]], the capital of [[Vanuatu]], people originating from [[Pentecost Island]] usually celebrate their island's name-day with a special church service followed by cultural events such as dancing.{{Citation needed|date=May 2018}}

In [[Ukraine]] the springtime feast day of  ''Zeleni Sviata'' became associated with the Pentecost. (The exact origin of the relationship is not known). The customs for the festival were performed in the following order: first, home and [[hearth]] would be cleaned; second, foods were prepared for the festival; finally, homes and churches were decorated with wildflowers and various types of green [[herbs]] and plants. A seven course meal may have been served as the Pentecost feast which may have included traditional dishes such as [[cereal]] with [[honey]] (''kolyvo''), [[rice]] or [[millet]] grains with [[milk]], [[sauerkraut]] soup (''kapusniak''), chicken broth with handmade [[noodle]]s (''yushka z zaterkoiu''), cheese turnovers (''[[Pirozhki|pyrizhky]] z syrom''), roast pork, [[buckwheat]] pancakes served with [[egg as food|eggs]] and [[cheese]] (''mlyntsi''), and baked [[kasha]].<ref>{{Cite book| publisher = University of Pittsburgh Press| isbn = 978-0-8229-3646-6| pages = 78–84| last = Farley| first = Marta Pisetska| title = Festive Ukrainian Cooking| chapter = Pentecost| date = 1990| doi = 10.2307/j.ctt7zwbs9.11| jstor = j.ctt7zwbs9.11}}</ref>

== Date and public holiday ==
{{Dates for Pentecost}}
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 day of Pentecost is seven weeks after Easter Sunday: that is to say, the fiftieth day after Easter inclusive of Easter Sunday.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Pentecost |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=2017-06-03 |quote=Pentecost... major festival in the Christian church, celebrated on the Sunday that falls on the 50th day after Easter. |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pentecost-Christianity |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711211938/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pentecost-Christianity |archive-date=2017-07-11 |url-status=live }}</ref> Pentecost may also refer to the 50 days from Easter to Pentecost Sunday inclusive of both.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-504652-6 |editor1=Kazhdan Alexander P |last=Taft |first=Robert |title=Pentecost |encyclopedia=Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium |access-date=2017-06-07 |year=2005 |url=http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195046526.001.0001/acref-9780195046526-e-4212 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810071131/http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195046526.001.0001/acref-9780195046526-e-4212 |archive-date=2017-08-10 |url-status=live |doi=10.1093/acref/9780195046526.001.0001 }}</ref> Because Easter itself has no fixed date, this makes Pentecost a moveable feast.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Grassie |first=William |title=Easter: A Moveable Feast |work=HuffPost |access-date=2017-06-04 |date=2013-03-28 |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-grassie/easter-a-moveable-feast_b_2970557.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170413072123/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-grassie/easter-a-moveable-feast_b_2970557.html |archive-date=2017-04-13 |url-status=live }}</ref> In the [[United Kingdom]], traditionally the next day, [[Whit Monday]], was until 1970 a public holiday. Since 1971, by statute, the last Monday in May has been a Bank Holiday. 

While Eastern Christianity treats Pentecost as the last day of Easter in its liturgies, in the [[Roman liturgy]] it is usually a separate feast.<ref name=liturgy /> The fifty days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday may also be called [[Eastertide]].<ref name=liturgy>{{Cite book |publisher=Westminster John Knox Press |isbn=978-0-664-25350-9 |author=Presbyterian Church (US)|title=Liturgical Year: The Worship of God |date=1992}}{{page needed|date=June 2020}}</ref>

Since Pentecost itself is on a Sunday, it is automatically considered to be a public holiday in countries with large Christian denominations.

[[Whit Monday|Pentecost Monday]] is a public holiday in many countries including [[Andorra]], [[Austria]], [[Belgium]], [[Benin]], [[Cyprus]], [[Denmark]], [[France]], [[Germany]], [[Greece]], [[Hungary]], [[Iceland]], [[Liechtenstein]], [[Luxembourg]], the [[Netherlands]], [[Norway]], [[Romania]] (since 2008), [[Senegal]], (most parts of) [[Switzerland]], [[Togo]] and [[Ukraine]].

In [[Sweden]] it was also a public holiday, but Pentecost Monday (Annandag Pingst) was replaced by Swedish National Day on June 6, by a government decision on December 15, 2004. In [[Italy]] and [[Malta]], it is no longer a public holiday. It was a public holiday in [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] until 1973, when it was replaced by Early Summer Holiday on the first Monday in June. In the [[United Kingdom]] the day is known as [[Whit Monday]], and was a [[bank holiday]] until 1967 when it was replaced by the Spring Bank Holiday on the last Monday in May. In France, following reactions to the implementation of the ''[[Journée de solidarité envers les personnes âgées]]'', Pentecost Monday has been reestablished as a regular (not as a ''working'') holiday on May 3, 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.conseil-etat.fr/ce/jurispd/index_ac_ld0521.shtml |title=Décision du Conseil d'Etat |access-date=2009-11-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090528070056/http://www.conseil-etat.fr/ce/jurispd/index_ac_ld0521.shtml |archive-date=2009-05-28 }}</ref>

== Literary allusions ==
According to legend, [[King Arthur]] always gathered all his knights at the round table for a feast and a quest on Pentecost:
<blockquote>
So ever the king had a custom that at the feast of Pentecost in especial, afore other feasts in the year, he would not go that day to meat until he had heard or seen of a great marvel.
<ref>''[[Le Morte d'Arthur]]'', Thomas Malory. [http://www.arthurian-legend.com/le-morte-darthur/le-morte-darthur-7.php Book 7, chapter 1] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100119060020/http://www.arthurian-legend.com/le-morte-darthur/le-morte-darthur-7.php |date=2010-01-19 }}</ref>
</blockquote>

German poet [[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]] declared Pentecost "das liebliche Fest" – the lovely Feast, in a selection by the same name in his ''[[Reineke Fuchs]]''.

:Pfingsten, das liebliche Fest, war gekommen;
:es grünten und blühten Feld und Wald;
:auf Hügeln und Höhn, in Büschen und Hecken
:Übten ein fröhliches Lied die neuermunterten Vögel;
:Jede Wiese sprosste von Blumen in duftenden Gründen,
:Festlich heiter glänzte der Himmel und farbig die Erde.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gedichte-fuer-alle-faelle.de/allegedichte/gedicht_476.html |title=Das Gedicht Pfingsten, das liebliche Fest... von Johann Wolfgang von Goethe |website=gedichte-fuer-alle-faelle.de}}</ref>

"Pfingsten, das liebliche Fest", speaks of Pentecost as a time of greening and blooming in fields, woods, hills, mountains, bushes and hedges, of birds singing new songs, meadows sprouting fragrant flowers, and of festive sunshine gleaming from the skies and coloring the earth – iconic lines idealizing the Pentecost holidays in the German-speaking lands.

Further, Goethe records an old peasant proverb relating to Pentecost in his "Sankt-Rochus-Fest zu Bingen"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gutenberg.spiegel.de/index.php?id=5&xid=898&kapitel=8&cHash=b151364af22#gb_found |title=Nachrichten – Kultur |publisher=Projekt Gutenberg.spiegel.de |date=2009-08-17 |access-date=2010-05-17}}</ref>
– ''Ripe strawberries at Pentecost mean a good wine crop.''

[[Alexandre Dumas, père]] mentions of Pentecost in ''[[Twenty Years After]]'' (French: Vingt ans après), the sequel to ''[[The Three Musketeers]]''. A meal is planned for the holiday, to which La Ramée, second in command of the prison, is invited, and by which contrivance, the Duke is able to escape. He speaks sarcastically of the festival to his jailor, foreshadowing his escape : ''"Now, what has Pentecost to do with me? Do you fear, say, that the Holy Ghost may come down in the form of fiery tongues and open the gates of my prison?"''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gutenberg.spiegel.de/index.php?id=5&xid=486&kapitel=12&cHash=1&hilite=Pfingsten#gb_found |title=Nachrichten – Kultur |publisher=Projekt Gutenberg.spiegel.de |date=2009-08-17 |access-date=2010-05-17}}</ref>

[[William Shakespeare]] mentions Pentecost in a line from ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'' Act 1, Scene V. At the ball at his home, Capulet speaks in refuting an overestimate of the time elapsed since he last danced: ''"What, man? 'Tis not so much, 'tis not so much! 'Tis since the nuptial of Lucentio, Come Pentecost as quickly as it will, Some five-and-twenty years, and then we mask'd."''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.enotes.com/romeo-and-juliet-text/act-i-scene-v |title=Romeo and Juliet Text and Translation – Act I, Scene V |publisher=Enotes.com |access-date=2010-05-17}}</ref> Note here the allusion to the tradition of [[mumming]], [[Morris dancing]] and wedding celebrations at Pentecost.

== See also ==
{{portal|Christianity}}
* [[Acts 2]]
* [[Pentecontad calendar]]
* [[Pentecost season]]
* [[Seven deacons]] (in Jerusalem and St. Philip in [[Ashdod (ancient city)|Azotus]])

== Notes ==
{{notelist-lr}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Pentecost}}
* [http://www.request.org.uk/main/festivals/pentecost/pentecost01.htm Pentecost on RE:Quest] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419021444/http://www.request.org.uk/main/festivals/pentecost/pentecost01.htm |date=2012-04-19 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080428204333/http://www.catholicexpert.com/pentecost.htm A collection of 22 prayers for Pentecost]
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15614b.htm "Pentecost"] article from the [[Catholic Encyclopedia]]
* [http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=177&letter=P&search=Pentecost "Pentecost"] article from the [[Jewish Encyclopedia]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070613193611/http://www.goarch.org/en/special/listen_learn_share/pentecost/learn/ Feast of Pentecost] Greek Orthodox Archdiocese
* [http://www.orthodox.net/ustav/bulgakov-pentecost.html Explanation of the Feast] from the ''Handbook for Church Servers'' (''Nastolnaya Kniga'') by Sergei V. Bulgakov
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140222132204/http://www.a.youversion.com/events/311741 The Main Event: The Church Takes Center Stage] from [http://www.eagleslanding.org/ Mcdonough | Eagle's Landing First Baptist Church] Eagle's Landing First Baptist Church in McDonough, Georgia.

{{s-start}}
{{s-other|Sundays of the [[Easter cycle]]|#c00}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Seventh Sunday of Easter]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Pentecost|years={{#invoke:Easter|Calculate|{{CURRENTYEAR}}|day=Pentecost|format=F j, Y}}}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Trinity Sunday]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Acts of the Apostles}}
{{Pentecost|state = expanded}}
{{Liturgical year of the Catholic Church}}
{{Apostles}}
{{Ukraine Holidays}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Pentecost| ]]
[[Category:1st century in Jerusalem]]
[[Category:1st-century Christianity]]
[[Category:Acts of the Apostles]]
[[Category:Christian Sunday observances]]
[[Category:Christian terminology]]
[[Category:Feasts of Jesus Christ]]
[[Category:Glorious Mysteries]]
[[Category:Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church]]
[[Category:Holidays based on the date of Easter]]
[[Category:Holy Spirit]]
[[Category:June observances]]
[[Category:May observances]]
[[Category:New Testament Greek words and phrases]]
[[Category:New Testament miracles]]
[[Category:Shavuot]]