Today is Whit Monday

Whit Monday rotates around Pentecost which commemorate the belief that the Holy Spirit descended on to Jesus' followers

Today is Whit Monday in Dominica but many Dominicans do not know what is its meaning and its origin. To many it is just another day off from work.

Whit Monday is a Christian holiday celebrated around the world

Whit Monday, popularly known as the Monday of the Holy Spirit or Pentecost Monday, is a day celebrated by Christians around the world directly after the day of Pentecost. The holiday is considered moveable as its date is determined by the date of Easter in both the Eastern and Western forms of Christianity.

History of Whit Monday

Observed by Christians as early as the first century AD, Whit Monday is the day that the Holy Ghost came upon the disciples of Jesus Christ who received the “gift of tongues” on the 50th day after Easter, according to the New Testament. It gets its name from Whitsunday which is a reference to the white cloths worn by those who are newly baptized on Pentecost.

The word Pentecost derives from the Greek pentekoste, a reference to the fiftieth day. In ancient times, the feast of Pentecost was originally calculated with Easter Sunday being the first day of fifty, putting the feast of Pentecost on Pentecost Monday.

In recent years, Whit Monday’s status as a public holiday has changed in many countries. It’s no longer a public holiday in many of the former British colonies, and recently Ireland removed the public status of it. France changed its status in the mid-2000s to an unpaid work day with the lost funds being donated to charity. However, France re-instated it as a public holiday in 2008.

Whit Monday Traditions, Customs and Activities

Many countries throughout the world celebrate this day in their own local ways. Many hymns are sung during the services on Monday of the Holy Spirit in Eastern Orthodox Churches. After this period, the weeks start ritually on Mondays instead of Sundays until the next holy week which will conclude on a Saturday.

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16 Comments

  1. slow
    May 29, 2012

    Pray is something we lack of, that is why our children are so. Go back to church and teach our children how to pray and the bible.

  2. Justice and Truth
    May 28, 2012

    As the saying goes, give Jack his jacket. All those holidays which today are called, solely Christian holidays, ignoring that they commenced with the Catholic Church, as Christmas Day, Good Friday, Easter and Pentecost rightfully commenced in the ancient days with the Catholic Church. Therefore, do not ignore that fact.
    Sunday, May 27th was Pentecost Sunday or Whit Sunday.
    Dominica and other countries celebrate those holidays, Easter Monday and Pentecost Monday. I recall in Toronto, government workers get Easter Monday off. No matter what their beliefs and religious affiliation, they are happy to get the holiday. As some hate the Catholic Church and speak ill about It, some may either seem not to be aware of or forget that if the Catholic Church did not establish those holidays through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they would not get these holidays off.
    Therefore, you, writer of this article, it is better not to write about it if you are excluding and ignoring the Catholic Church and the history of those holidays, specifically Pentecost Sunday or Whit Sunday and Monday. This is too prevalent in these times of all sorts of religions and newfound ones. The Catholic Church is approximately 2000 years old. If you are not a Christian Catholic, how old is your church? I hope you are not a Catholic and a practicing one at that. Teach people well and the truth and lead them to the knowledge of the truth. God will be pleased with you.
    Pentecost is 40 days after Easter Sunday. It is the day when Our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to the group of men and women, his disciples, and among the women, Our Blessed Mother, the Ever Blessed Virgin Mary. Furthermore, it is in Holy Scripture. Now that other people who call themselves Christians have adopted those holidays and recognize them, they should all learn about this day, Pentecost/Whit Sunday and the holiday on Monday. The Catholic Church has been instrumental in teaching its members unless some have forgotten it. I have not forgotten it.

    • Anonymous1
      May 29, 2012

      You are blinded by following the lies of this apostate religion. Pentecost was observed hundreds of years before this incident along with the special holidays mentioned in Leviticus chapter 23. Pentecost had no connection within heathen festival of Easter/Ishtar. Go read your bible.

    • xxx
      May 29, 2012

      Peter, the deciples of Jesus, and Paul were not Catholics. They were followers of Jesus. So to say that the celebration of Penticost came from the catholic church is so misplaced. The deciples continued in Christ, and the followers of Christ. The Holy Spirit came down on penticost, but what happened on penticost the catholic church did not practice.

      Holidays will not take you to heaven.

  3. War Veteran
    May 28, 2012

    Actually….today is also Memorial Day. WE should remember the troops and soldiers who have vsliantly given their lives for us to be able to live freely. You are not forgotten

  4. Farmer's son
    May 28, 2012

    Another holiday. Lost production, non stop partying, more consumption. Do we really need another public holiday so soon after Easter?

    • reality
      May 28, 2012

      stupes…has always been a holiday

    • ideal
      May 28, 2012

      WHIT MONDAY IS NOT A NEW HOLIDAY, WAS ALWAYS CELEBRATED IN DA, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT

  5. mwenmem
    May 28, 2012

    Feast of St. Isidore is celebrated in Grandbay and San Sauveur which is in effect the patron saint of Farmers, Agriculturists and Farm Labourers. It is amazing how The Roman Catholic Church introduced these feast to honour farmers in these little villages. Jesus came from the tiniest of villages and His Church may never forget them. Presently, people have totally forgotten the purpose of the feast ot St.peters to commemorate fishermen and St. Isidore for farmers and Agricultural workers. God Bless His Beloved church and the farmers and agricultural workers on our beautiful Island.

    Cest mwenmem

    • Shan
      May 29, 2012

      The Feast of St. Isidore was also celebrated in other farming communities around the Island. I think it should be celebrated in ALL communities whose sole source of income is farming – welllll that’s DOMINICA!

  6. concerned
    May 28, 2012

    i;ll be in grand bay meet u there

  7. IMpatriotic2
    May 28, 2012

    May the fire of the Holy Spirit decend with force in Dominica.In Jesus mighty name Amen.

  8. May 28, 2012

    “Today is Whit Monday in Dominica but many Dominicans do not know what is its meaning and its origin. To many it is just another day off from work”—News Article

    As a Christian who is born again, it is very disturbing to read that many Dominicans do not know what is “Whit Monday” for as long as it is recognized.

    For whatever its name that day is linked to the Way of Life in any person whom God has chosen for Himself–not just a Christian–and yet in Dominica, where people are described as a “God fearing people” we have not yet even understood the great significance of Holy Spirit in our lives–if we do not know what Whit Monday means–a day that linked directly to Holy Spirit and the reason He is in this world.

    If that conclusion above is true, then we have a very scary situation, one that demands great consideration.

    This leads to the question: What is our purpose in Church as both, leaders and congregation? For as a congregation we ought to consider ourselves to be One Body in the Spirit and Jesus is the head. It is by the power of Holy Spirit through our faith that we are made One in the Body of Jesus Christ.

    And so people we need to understand perfectly the major reason God came to this world as the Man in Jesus Christ and the Day of Pentecost–whatever it is called today, has everything to do with that reason. If we do not understand that we continue to remain lost sheep–perhaps to Eternity.

    Through the prophet Jeremiah, God made a New Covenant with His people, that covenant described the way that God would make Himself right with people–meaning to become reconciled to them–from generation to generation. That covenant of God would involve Him writing His Law on the hearts of people and putting those laws on their mind–this could only happen by the faith of the believer in Jesus Christ.

    Through that covenant God said that no man would have to call his neighbour or his brother saying know the Lord, for His plan would cause everyone to Him through spiritual wisdom, understanding and revelation.

    That covenant would come by people’s faith and the power of Holy Spirit, whose wisdom, understanding, and revelation, faith would use to cause the reconciliation to God in those certain people.

    That was the reason before His ascension into Heaven, Jesus told His disciples stay in Jerusalem until I send you the promise of My Father–a promise and a covenant is the same thing in God’s opinion.

    God started to do His work of writing His laws on people’s heart and putting those laws in people’s mind by their faith and the power of Holy Spirit–this begun on the Day of Pentecost–which is not called Whit Sunday and Monday.

    It is not a church, but simply a social club, of human beings, if Holy Spirit is not conducting the functions of that church. It is not worship but simply social entertainment if Holy Spirit is not conducting the praying, singing, and even preaching in a church house.

    If people do not know the meaning of “Whit Monday” which originally was called Pentecost Monday, where is Holy Spirit in them when they gather in church, much less for when they are not in the church house?

    For those of you with Bibles, read Jeremiah, chapter 31: verses 31-31; and 1st John chapter 2: 27

  9. me
    May 28, 2012

    and in dominica we have the tradition of going to the beach or sewoing …….. grandbay later who with me :-P :-P :-P :-D :-D :lol: :lol: :lol: :-P :-P

    • Me Too
      May 20, 2013

      I with you!

  10. May 28, 2012

    Wish everyone Peace and Blessing from the Lord. be safe.

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