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 Pentecost is also
known as Whitsunday and is a major festival in the Christian church. It is
celebrated on the Sunday which falls on the 50th day after the Easter
festival.
The name Pentecost comes from a Greek word which means 'fiftieth'.
Pentecost celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit in the form of flames to
the followers of Jesus, as recorded in the New Testament. Jesus had told
them to wait until the Spirit came to them. Ten days after Ascension, 50
days after the resurrection, the Spirit came.
The festival is often called Pentecost because when the disciples received
the Holy Spirit and began to go out and preach about Jesus it was the Jewish
festival of Pentecost.
Pentecost is recognized as the birth of the Church. The Apostle Peter
preached a sermon which resulted in 3,000 people becoming believers. Whit
Sunday is a favorite day for baptism. It is thought that because people are
often baptized dressed in white, Whit Sunday was probably originally known
as 'White Sunday'.
Whitsuntide is the week following with Whitsunday, which is always the
seventh Sunday after Easter Sunday.
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