Pentecost meaning (what is it, concept and definition)

What is Pentecost:

Pentecost is a religious holiday that is celebrated fifty days after Easter, ending the Easter period. It is celebrated both in the Jewish religion and in the Christian religion.

For Jews, Pentecost marks the celebration of the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, fifty days after the exodus.

For its part, for Christians, it is the commemoration of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles of Jesus Christ, which marks the birth of the Church.

Etymologically, the word comes from the Latin Pentecoste , and this, in turn, from the Greek πεντηκοστή, (pentecost), which means 'fiftieth'. The term, as such, refers precisely to the fifty days that pass from Easter to Pentecost.

As it is the name of a sacred holiday, the word Pentecost should be written with an initial capital.

Pentecost in Christianity

Christians celebrate at Pentecost the Coming of the Holy Spirit, which took place, according to the Bible, on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In the New Testament, in Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2, the descent of the Holy Spirit is recounted during a meeting of the Apostles in Jerusalem, an event that would mark the birth of the Christian Church and the spread of the faith of Christ.

For this reason, the Church dedicates the week of Pentecost in honor of the Holy Spirit, but also celebrates the Consecration of the Church, whose principle is marked by this epiphany.

For the Catholic liturgy, Pentecost is the fourth main festival of the year and, according to the calendar, can be celebrated between May 10 and June 13.

Pentecost in the Bible

The celebration of Pentecost is referred to in the Bible for the first time in the Acts of the Apostles, in the episode dedicated to narrating the moment when the apostles of Jesus Christ received the gifts of the Holy Spirit, after Jesus' ascension into heaven.

When the day of Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all together in the same place. 2 Suddenly there was a roar from heaven, like a strong wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 They saw tongues appear, like flames, dividing, resting on each one of them. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit allowed them to manifest. Acts of the Apostles, 2: 1-4.

Pentecost in Judaism

The Jews celebrate Pentecost fifty days after the Passover of the Lamb to commemorate the encounter between God and Moses on Mount Sinai, and the delivery of the Law to the people of Israel, symbolizing the birth of Judaism.

This event, as narrated in the book of Exodus, in the Old Testament, occurred fifty days after the departure of the Hebrew people from the captivity of Egypt.

Likewise, Pentecost is also historically associated with the Feast of Weeks or the Feast of the Mies, a celebration that took place seven weeks after Easter, in which God was thanked for the fruit of the harvests.