This Christian holy day commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit in the form of flames to the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the New Testament in Acts 2:1–31, the fifth book of the New Testament of the Bible.
The Holy Spirit allowed the apostles to speak in other languages, and they started preaching the word of Jesus to the Jews who were in Jerusalem for the feast of Shavuot (also known as the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost – in this case, meaning seven weeks since Passover).
Many Christians recognise the Descent of the Holy Spirit as the birth of the Church.
In the United Kingdom, Pentecost is known as Whitsunday. The name “Whitsunday” is generally attributed to the white garments formerly worn by the candidates for baptism on this feast.
Early in the 15th century, an Augustinian cleric, John Mirk, proposed an alternative reason for the name. Mirk advised his parishioners in Shropshire that the real meaning of Whitsunday was “wit” rather than “white,” since this was the day when the Holy Spirit infused the Apostles with knowledge and understanding (wit) and wisdom.
In Germany, Pentecost is called “Pfingsten” and often coincides with the beginning of many outdoor and springtime activities.
In 1662, Isaac Newton compiled a list of 48 sins he had committed before Whitsunday that included ‘eating an apple at Thy house’, ‘making pies on Sunday night‘, and ‘denying a crossbow to my mother and grandmother though I knew of it’.