Pentecost
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Pentecost, from the Greek Πεντηκοστη meaning fiftieth, is the third most important festival in the Christian year. It falls on the fiftieth day from Easter, or seven weeks after. This places it in the late spring or early summer in the northern hemisphere. The name and timing of the festival is based on the Jewish feast of Shavuot, but the modern festivals bear little resemblance to one another.
Pentecost is the feast of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the divine Trinity. As Jesus ascended into heaven, he promised his disciples that he would send another paraclete/comforter/advocate. This is believed to have occured on the Jewish feast of Pentecost/Shavuot. The disciples were praying together when a mighty wind burst through house, and tongues of fire rested on the head of each. They began to speak in different languages, which they did not know, so that the multilingual crowd gathered in Jerusalem for the feast could all understand their words.
Each year, Pentecost is a time of prayer for spiritual renewal of the church and for individuals. Its traditional English name is Whitsunday or Whitsun, after the white robes which the newly baptized wore from their Easter baptism until that day. In Europe, the following Monday is traditionally a day of rest from work (Whitmonday). However, this holiday has now been mostly replaced by a fixed secular holiday in most countries.
As the date of Pentecost is the seventh Sunday after Easter it can occur from 10 May to 13 June for Western Christians, or 23 May to 26 June for Eastern Christians.
