Whit Monday is one of nine national public holidays. But when is the festival and what is actually celebrated?
Christmas, Easter and Pentecost – there are three Christian festivals that not only take up one day each, but several in a row. But what do you actually celebrate on Whit Monday, which is a public holiday throughout Germany? We have summarized the most important information about the customs, date and origin of Whit Monday for you.
Public holiday: Who is free on Whit Monday? Are the shops closed?
The day after Pentecost Sunday is a normal working day in many other countries. However, Germans and people in Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Hungary, Denmark and large parts of Switzerland can look forward to a day off. In France, the holiday was temporarily abolished in 2005, but was then reintroduced.
As on all other public holidays, work also rests on Whit Monday in Germany. There is a general ban on employment, but there are a few exceptions, such as for fire brigades, emergency and rescue services, restaurants and hospitals. Whit Monday is paid like a normal working day. All shops not affected by exceptions are closed on Whit Monday. However, there is no ban on dancing, as is the case on Good Friday in some regions, for example, since Whit Monday is not a silent holiday.
Around Pentecost, it is always a good idea to take vacation, since you can have nine days off with only four vacation days (Tuesday to Friday after Whit Monday). You can find more tips on bridging days here.
Whit Monday 2022: When does the holiday take place?
Because, like Ascension Day, it is linked exactly to Easter Sunday, Whit Monday always falls between May 11th and June 14th. In 2022 Whit Monday falls on June 6th.
In 2005, German business and business associations called for the holiday to be abolished. However, their efforts were unsuccessful, and so the Germans continue to have the day off on Whit Monday, which was a public holiday even in the GDR.
Origin of Whit Monday: Everything is now going back to “normal” for the Church
For Christians, Whit Monday marks the end of the numerous preparations and celebrations that gather around Christmas, Easter and Pentecost: While Whit Sunday is still part of the Easter season, Whit Monday marks the beginning of the so-called “time of the year”, almost normal everyday life in the church year. And while on Boxing Day Saint Stephen is celebrated as the first martyr, i.e. someone who died for his faith, and on Easter Monday the story of the disciples continues after the death of Jesus, Whit Monday does not have a big story of its own.
Video: Why do Christians celebrate Pentecost?
Whit Monday: What is the meaning of the holiday?
At Pentecost itself, exactly 50 days after Easter Sunday, the church is celebrating its birthday, so to speak: According to the Bible, in the so-called “Pentecost miracle”, God gave the disciples the opportunity to speak languages that they had not previously mastered. The Holy Spirit encouraged the followers of Jesus to proclaim their faith in the world and so to become a big movement – it was the foundation of the universal church.
Whit Monday is then an extension of this birthday celebration, it shows, like Easter and Christmas, that the festival is particularly important in the Christian faith. However, an additional meaning is sometimes given to Whit Monday: In many places it is celebrated as an ecumenical holiday – Catholic and Protestant Christians celebrate together, because the early church founded on Pentecost was not yet separated. (eu)
#free #Date #customs #origin