First … Whitsun for the British

“Whitsun (also Whitsunday or Whit Sunday) is the name used in Britain and other countries among Anglicans and Methodists, for the Christian holy day of Pentecost. It falls on the seventh Sunday after Easter and commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus’ disciples (as described in Acts 2).

Whitsuntide, the week following Whitsunday, was one of three holiday weeks for the medieval villein; on most manors he was free from service on the lord’s demesne this week, which marked a pause in the agricultural year.

Whit Monday, the day after Whitsun, remained a holiday in Britain until 1971 when, with effect from 1972, the ruling Conservative Government decided to permanently replace it, following a five-year trial period, with a Spring Bank Holiday on the last Monday in May.

Whit had been the occasion for many varied forms of celebration, and was of significant cultural importance. It was a custom for children to receive a new set of clothes, even among the poorest families, a tradition which continued well into the 20th century.” (Wikipedia)

How many children are taught this these days? And the nonWokerati speak of heritage and tradition?

Now onto Pentecost itself:

“It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles of Jesus while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks, as described in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:1–31). Many churches, including the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church, believe the Holy Spirit descended upon Mary, the mother of Jesus, at the same time, as also recorded in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:14).

Pentecost is one of the Great feasts in the Eastern Orthodox Church, a Solemnity in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, a Festival in the Lutheran Churches, and a Principal Feast in the Anglican Communion. Many Christian denominations provide a special liturgy for this holy celebration.

Since its date depends on the date of Easter, Pentecost is a “moveable feast”. The Monday after Pentecost is a legal holiday in many European, African and Caribbean countries.” (Wikipedia)

And now onto one of the core problems of the early church … the traditions of Genesis to Deuteronomy for Israel/Judaea. If you were post-Jesus Jewish and did not accept the Resurrection, then you had no dissonance and as the whited sepulchres of the Pharisees and Sadducees, plus others, had twisted the Mosaic Law over time, which is the whole point of Jesus of Nazareth in the earliest phase … what stuck in the craw for the highly orthodox Jewish Christians was the very notion of preaching to the gentiles.

Yet the notion appeared in the gospels … there were sufficient references also in the Pauline letters. Peter was far more Jewish orthodox, Paul was carrying the gospel to the known world.

But that, of course, raised the question of how? How, when they were of different tongues? Hence Pentecost.

Right, so, onto sceptics saying there was no Moses, no Mosaic Law … thing is … the criticism is irrelevant. In the time of Jesus, it was the Law and that was that. As for John 3:16 … well that’s a question of faith, no?

The notion of the day of Pentecost is similarly not fatal to the faith … the Christology certainly spread and spread … I’m not personally fussed exactly how … it did spread and was preached.

And one of the key underpinnings of the West, if not THE key underpinning, esp. in the middle ages, was the Church, which brings in a whole other discussion … Church v Christianity v State. That’s for another time.