The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Is Whit Monday 2021 a public holiday? Who is free? Date, customs and origin

2021-03-22T11:58:37.031Z


Whit Monday is one of nine uniform national holidays. But when is the festival and what is actually celebrated?


Whit Monday is one of nine uniform national holidays.

But when is the festival and what is actually celebrated?

Christmas, Easter and Pentecost - there are three Christian festivals, each of which does not take up just one day, but several at a time.

But what do you actually celebrate on Whit Monday, which is a public holiday in all of Germany?

We have summarized the most important information about the customs, date and origin of Whit Monday for you.

Public holiday: who is free on Whit Monday?

Are the shops closed?

The day after Pentecost Sunday is a normal working day in many other countries.

Germans as well as people in Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Hungary, Denmark and large parts of Switzerland can look forward to a day off.

In France, the public holiday was abolished in 2005, but was then reintroduced.

As on all other public holidays, work is also suspended on Whit Monday in Germany.

There is a general employment ban, from which there are, however, some exceptions, such as for fire brigades, emergency and rescue services, restaurants and hospitals.

Whit Monday is paid like a normal working day.

All shops that are not affected by exemptions are closed on Whit Monday.

However, there is no ban on dancing, as is the case on Good Friday in some regions, as Whit Monday is not a silent holiday.

Whit Monday 2021: When does the public holiday take place?

Because, like Ascension Day, it is precisely connected to Easter Sunday, Whit Monday always falls between May 11th and June 14th.

In 2021, Whit Monday falls on May 24th.

In 2005, German business and business associations called for the public holiday to be abolished.

Their efforts were unsuccessful, however, and so the Germans continue to have free on Whit Monday, which was a public holiday even in the GDR.

Origin of Whit Monday: Everything is now "normal" again for the church

For Christians, Whit Monday marks the end of the numerous preparations and celebrations that gather around Christmas, Easter and Whitsun: While Whitsunday is still part of Easter, Whitsun Monday begins the so-called "time of the year", almost normal everyday life in the Church year.

And while on Boxing Day St. Stephen is celebrated as the first martyr, i.e. someone who died for his faith, and on Easter Monday the story of the disciples after the death of Jesus continues, Whit Monday does not have a great story of its own.

Video: Why do Christians celebrate Pentecost?

Whit Monday: What is the meaning of the holiday?

At Pentecost itself, exactly 50 days after Easter Sunday, the church is practically celebrating its birthday: In the so-called “Pentecost miracle”, according to the Bible, God gave the disciples the opportunity to speak languages ​​that they had not yet mastered.

The Holy Spirit encouraged the followers of Jesus to proclaim their faith in the world and become such a great movement - it was the foundation of the universal Church.

Whit Monday is then an extension of this birthday celebration, it shows, as it does on Easter and Christmas, that the festival is particularly important in the Christian faith.

Whit Monday is given an additional meaning: In many places it is celebrated as a holiday of ecumenism - Catholic and Protestant Christians celebrate together, because the early church founded on Pentecost was not yet separated.

(eu)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-03-22

You may like

Trends 24h

News/Politics 2024-03-28T06:04:53.137Z

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.