[21], 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. [17] The list of nations represented in the biblical text includes Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamia, Judaea,[iii] Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Cyrene, and those who were visiting from Rome.
[83] Because Easter itself has no fixed date, this makes Pentecost a moveable feast. Since Pentecost itself is on a Sunday, it is automatically considered to be a public holiday in countries with large Christian denominations. [75], 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.[75]. In the ancient Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, Pentecost is one of the seven Major "Lord's Feasts". St. Paul already in the 1st century notes the importance of this festival to the early Christian communities. 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. In some cases, red fans, or red handkerchiefs, are distributed to the congregation to be waved during the procession, etc. 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). [19], After the destruction of the temple in 70 AD offerings could no longer be brought to the Temple and the focus of the festival shifted from agriculture to the giving of the law on Sinai. 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. [87]. 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. This feast is followed with the "Apostles Fast" which 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]. 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.[44]. The Italian name Pasqua rossa comes from the red colours of the vestments used on Whitsunday. A secular iconography in the Western and in the Eastern Churches reflect the belief of the presence of the Blessed Virgin Mary in day of Pentecost and her central role on the divine concession of the gift of the Holy Spirit God to the Apostles. In the Extraordinary Form of the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church, as at Easter, the liturgical rank of Monday and Tuesday of Pentecost week is a Double of the First Class[68] and across many Western denominations, Pentecost is celebrated with an octave culminating on Trinity Sunday. 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. Both Catholics and Protestants may hold spiritual retreats, prayer vigils, and litanies in the days leading up to Pentecost. The fifth of Epip is the commemoration of the Martyrdom of St. Peter and Paul. (The exact origin of the relationship is not known). In Eastern Christianity, ... Senegal, (most parts of) Switzerland, Togo and Ukraine. At the top of the icon, the Holy Spirit, in the form of tongues of fire, is descending upon them. 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. 1 June: Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday (Pfingstmontag) Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday is the holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost, a moveable feast in the Christian calendar. The day used to be known as Whitsun, a Christian holiday. For other uses, see, The Greek term used for Shavuot in the Septuagint translation of, ἐπ᾽ αὐτὴν ἔτους πεντηκοστοῦ καὶ ἑκατοστοῦ. "[38] Leo calls this the Second Covenant and says that it is "established by the same Spirit who has set up the first". Richard C. H. Lenski and other scholars contend that the author of Acts could have chosen the word ἱερόν (sanctuary or temple) if this meaning were intended, rather than "house". 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. "[80], 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. [37], Scholars believe that Pope Leo I's Sermons 75–77 were given on Pentecost Sunday. Holy Ghost holes can still be seen today in European churches such as Canterbury Cathedral. [ii] The term has also been used in the literature of Hellenistic Judaism by Philo of Alexandria and Josephus. In many of these countries, Whit Monday is known as "the second day of Pentecost" or "the second Whitsun".