Pentecost Monday is a public holiday in France
Pentecost marks the end of the seven weeks of the Easter season.
It is a movable feast that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles fifty days after Easter Sunday. Pentecost, Pentecôte in French, is derived from the Greek word “pentekoste,” which means fiftieth.
Pentecost has been a public holiday in France since 1801. Thus, all government offices, as well as many businesses, are closed on this day. It is advisable to consult their respective websites for more information. However, many restaurants and tourist establishments remain open.
In English-speaking countries, Pentecost is also known as Whitsunday, a term that refers to the white garments worn by newly baptised Christians during the vigil.
Pentecôte – Whitsunday
Christian tradition recounts that on the fiftieth day after Easter, a powerful sound, like a rushing wind, descended from Heaven and filled the room where Jesus’ apostles were gathered. This startling sound was accompanied by flames that settled upon the head of each apostle. At that moment, they were filled with the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, as Jesus had announced at his Ascension. To their own surprise, they began speaking in different languages. Strengthened by this divine gift, each apostle set out for different lands to spread the message of Jesus’ resurrection, proclaim his teachings, and baptise new believers.
Thus, the first Christian communities were formed, marking the beginning of organised Christianity. Whitsunday remains a key celebration that symbolises the emergence and spread of the Christian faith.
Dates for all the French public holidays
Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Church fresco by Radim Scholaster CC BY-SA 3.0
