Christian Holiday

Pentecost

Pentecost is the Christian feast of the Holy Spirit coming upon the apostles in Jerusalem, fifty days after Easter, as told in Acts 2. Pentecost 2027 falls on Sunday, May 16, 2027, and Orthodox Pentecost is June 20, 2027. It is often called the birthday of the church.

Next: Sunday, May 16, 2027

When Is Pentecost?

2027Next

Pentecost SundaySunday, May 16, 2027

Orthodox PentecostSunday, June 20, 2027

2028

Pentecost SundaySunday, June 4, 2028

Orthodox PentecostSunday, June 4, 2028

What Pentecost Means

Pentecost, celebrated fifty days after Easter, marks the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the gathered disciples in Jerusalem. The event described in Acts 2, tongues of fire, rushing wind, and the sudden ability to speak in languages not previously known, transformed a group of frightened and uncertain followers into the founding generation of the Christian church. About three thousand people were baptized that day. Pentecost is sometimes called the birthday of the Church because it marks the beginning of the community of believers empowered by the Spirit to carry the message of Christ to the ends of the earth. For Christians, Pentecost is a celebration not of a past event alone, but of the ongoing presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the Church today.

Pentecost in the Bible

Acts 2:1-4KJV
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Acts 2:41KJV
“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”

How Pentecost Is Observed

Pentecost is observed with church services often decorated in red, the color of fire and the Holy Spirit. Some traditions hold outdoor services or processions. Hymns celebrating the Holy Spirit are central to the liturgy. In many cultures, Pentecost has folk traditions associated with it including outdoor gatherings and communal meals. Charismatic and Pentecostal churches place particular emphasis on this day and the gifts of the Spirit.

Catholic

For Catholics, Pentecost Sunday is a solemnity that closes the Easter season. Priests wear red, the Mass includes the Sequence Come, Holy Spirit, and afterward the Easter candle is moved from the sanctuary to the baptistery.

Orthodox

In the Orthodox Church, Pentecost is one of the great feasts and is also called Trinity Day, because the coming of the Spirit reveals the full Trinity. Many churches are decorated with green branches and flowers, and at Vespers that evening the faithful kneel for the first time since Easter.

Protestant

Many Protestant churches wear red and focus on the Holy Spirit and mission. Anglicans list the Day of Pentecost among the principal feasts and traditionally call it Whitsunday. Pentecostal and charismatic churches, which take their name from this day, give particular attention to the gifts of the Spirit.

Where It Falls in the Christian Year

Pentecost closes the fifty days of Easter, ten days after Ascension Day. Read the full account of the coming of the Spirit in Acts 2, and learn more about the Holy Spirit.

Pentecost FAQ

What is Pentecost?

Pentecost is the feast of the Holy Spirit coming upon the apostles in Jerusalem. Acts 2 describes a sound like a rushing mighty wind and tongues like as of fire, after which the apostles spoke in other languages and Peter preached to the crowd.

When is Pentecost 2027?

Pentecost 2027 is Sunday, May 16, 2027, the seventh Sunday after Easter. Orthodox Pentecost is June 20, 2027. In 2028, Pentecost falls on Sunday, June 4, 2028.

Why is it called Pentecost?

Pentecost comes from the Greek word for fiftieth. It was the Greek name for the Jewish Feast of Weeks, held fifty days after Passover (Leviticus 23:15-16). The apostles were gathered in Jerusalem for that feast when the Spirit came.

Why is Pentecost called the birthday of the church?

On that day the apostles began preaching publicly, and Acts 2:41 says about three thousand people were baptized. Many Christians see this as the moment the church began its mission to the world.

What color is used on Pentecost?

Red is the traditional color for Pentecost in Western churches, a sign of the tongues of fire and the Holy Spirit. Many congregations invite worshippers to wear red. Orthodox churches often use green.

Is Pentecost a Jewish holiday?

Pentecost began as the Greek name for Shavuot, the Jewish Feast of Weeks, which celebrates the wheat harvest and, in Jewish tradition, the giving of the Torah. Christians keep Pentecost as the day the Holy Spirit came, fifty days after Easter.