Whit Monday

Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday (also known as Monday of the Holy Spirit) is the holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost, a movable feast in the Christian calendar. It is movable because it is determined by the date of Easter. 
Whit Monday gets its English name for following "Whitsun", the day that became one of the three baptismal seasons. The name "Whitsunday" is now generally attributed to the white garments formerly worn by the candidates for baptism on this feast. 
==Observance in European countries==
Until recently, Whit Monday was a public holiday in Ireland. It was a bank holiday in the United Kingdom until 1967. It was formally replaced by the fixed Spring Bank Holiday on the last Monday in May in 1971Spring Bank Holiday in the United Kingdom. Retrieved 2009-04-17.. It was also a public holiday in various former British colonies, especially in the Pacific. It is still a public holiday in some of the countries of the Commonwealth Caribbean.
The Monday after Pentecost is also a holiday in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Romania, Switzerland, and several Scandinavian countries. In many of these countries, Whit Monday is known as "the second day of Pentecost" or "the second Whitsun". In France, it was a non-pay work day for many workers from 2005 to 2007. This was to raise extra funds for elderly and disabled people Solidarity Day in France Retrieved 2009-04-17.. It became a public holiday again in 2008 Whit Monday in France. Retrieved 2009-04-17.. In Liechtenstein, Whit Monday is considered to be a "favorite holiday"; much like Christmas in many other countries. In Germany, Whit Monday () is a Holy Day of Obligation for Roman Catholics.Deutsche Bischofskonferenz, 1995-10-05, Feiertagregelung. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
==Observance in Eastern Orthodoxy==
In the Eastern Orthodox Church Whit Monday is known as "Monday of the Holy Spirit" or "Day of the Holy Spirit" and is the first day of the afterfeast of Pentecost, being dedicated specifically to the honor of God the Holy Spirit. The day following is known as Third Day of the Trinity. In the services on the Monday of the Holy Spirit many of the same hymns are sung as on the day of Pentecost itself. During the Divine Liturgy the Deacon intones the same introit as on the day of Pentecost, and the dismissal is the same as on the day of Pentecost. Special canons to the Holy Spirit are chanted at Compline and Matins.
== Dates ==
Year	Western	Eastern
2002	May 20 	June 24
2003	June 9 	June 16
2004	May 31 	May 31
2005	May 16 	June 20
2006	June 5 	June 12
2007	May 28 	May 28
2008	May 12 	June 16
2009	June 1 	June 8
2010	May 24 	May 24
2011	June 13	June 13
2012	May 28 	June 4
2013	May 20 	June 24
2014	June 9 	June 9
2015	May 25 	June 1
2016	May 16 	June 20
2017	June 5 	June 5
2018	May 21 	May 28
2019	June 10	June 17
2020	June 1 	June 8
The table on the right provides columns giving the dates on which Whit Monday is observed in both Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity. The Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches calculate Pascha (Easter) differently from the West (see Computus), and so the date of Whit Monday will be different most years.
==References==
==External links==
*Day of the Holy Spirit
*Trinity Week - Day of the Holy Spirit Orthodox icon and synaxarion
*Whit Monday Celebration
Category:Christian festivals and holy days