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HomeHolidays › Pentecost
Pentecost illustration — dove badge marking the descent of the Holy Spirit

🕊️ Pentecost Countdown

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🕊️ It's Pentecost!

When is Pentecost?

Pentecost always falls 49 days after Easter Sunday (the seventh Sunday after Easter), so its date moves with Easter each year.

49 daysafter Easter
Moveabletied to Easter
Not a bank holidayin the UK today
Whit Sundaytraditional name

The history of Pentecost

Pentecost, also known as Whit Sunday in the UK, commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus's apostles, an event described in the New Testament as occurring fifty days after Easter. It's considered one of the most important feasts in the Christian calendar, sometimes called the 'birthday of the Church.'

Whit Monday, the day after Pentecost, used to be a UK bank holiday until 1971, when the Spring Bank Holiday (the last Monday in May) was introduced in its place with a fixed date independent of Easter.

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Frequently asked questions

When is Pentecost?

Pentecost always falls 49 days after Easter Sunday, on the seventh Sunday after Easter.

Is Pentecost a UK bank holiday?

No — the related Whit Monday bank holiday was replaced by the fixed-date Spring Bank Holiday in 1971.

What does Pentecost commemorate?

The descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus's apostles, fifty days after Easter.

Why is Pentecost also called Whit Sunday?

'Whit' likely derives from 'White Sunday,' referencing the white garments traditionally worn by those baptized on this day.

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