What do Christians celebrate on Pentecost Sunday?
Why is the high religious holiday almost nowhere a legal one?
Everything about customs, history and dates.
Munich - Whitsun is an important Christian festival alongside Easter and Christmas.
It is considered the feast of the Holy Spirit.
But what exactly is celebrated on Pentecost Sunday and when is Pentecost Sunday?
What date is Pentecost Sunday 2021?
Due to the dependence on Easter, Pentecost Sunday always falls between May 10th and June 13th - and continues to be the starting point for the missionary work of the disciples of Jesus.
This central point in Christianity distinguishes it, for example, from Judaism, which has no active mission.
The date of Whit Monday varies depending on the location of Easter.
Because: With Pentecost, Easter ends after 50 days.
According to the Jewish calendar, Easter Sunday is celebrated on the first weekend after the first full moon in spring - however, this date varies between March 22nd and April 25th - this year Easter Sunday is April 4th.
In 2021, Pentecost Sunday falls on May 23rd.
Whit Monday is May 24th, 2021.
Pentecost Sunday: origin and meaning
The meaning of Pentecost Sunday refers to a passage from the Bible in the New Testament: On this day the twelve apostles received - according to tradition - the Holy Spirit.
This was noticeable in the fact that from this point on the disciples could also preach the gospel to people whose language they had not yet mastered.
Pentecost marks the beginning of the missionary work and is therefore understood as the birthday of the church itself.
The word Pentecost comes from the Greek word “pentekosté”, the fiftieth.
Up until the 4th century, the Ascension of Christ was also celebrated at Pentecost.
Then a separate holiday developed over the years, namely Ascension Day.
Video: What do you celebrate on Pentecost?
Peony, pigeons and the ox: where does the custom come from - and what does it have to do with Pentecost?
In Christianity, the symbolic white dove often stands for the Holy Spirit and thus for Pentecost.
The peony, on the other hand, like peonies, probably relates to the season: on Whitsun, farmers drove the partly decorated cattle back to the alpine pastures after the winter.
In the Upper Harz, for example, the festival is traditionally celebrated with a parade and many visitors on Pentecost Sunday.
Other customs at Pentecost such as the Pentecost fire honor the biblical story, but usually only have a regional meaning.
Pentecost Sunday 2021: In which federal states is a public holiday?
In Germany and many other Christian countries, Whit Monday is a public holiday - with one exception, Whit Sunday is not.
Unlike Whit Monday, Whit Sunday does not count as a public holiday in almost any federal state.
Employees who are on duty on Pentecost Sunday only receive a Sunday allowance, but not a holiday allowance, depending on the regulation.
Brandenburg
Whitsunday is not a public holiday in these federal states
Whitsunday is not a public holiday except in Brandenburg.
Baden-Wuerttemberg
Bavaria
Berlin
Bremen
Hamburg
Hesse
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Lower Saxony
North Rhine-Westphalia
Rhineland-Palatinate
Saarland
Saxony
Saxony-Anhalt
Schleswig-Holstein
Thuringia
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