When is Pentecost?
Pentecost, on the 50th day after Easter (the seventh Sunday), celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and is often called the birthday of the church. Its date changes each year with Easter.
Pentecost — Catholic · Protestant (Western): the next date is May 16, 2027.
Pentecost — Greek Orthodox: the next date is June 20, 2027.
Pentecost — Armenian Apostolic: the next date is May 16, 2027.
Pentecost — Syriac Orthodox: the next date is June 20, 2027.
Pentecost falls 50 days after Easter and follows each tradition's Easter date; Orthodox Pentecost usually comes after the Western one.
Dates year by year — Western tradition
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | — Sunday |
| 2027 | — Sunday |
| 2028 | — Sunday |
| 2029 | — Sunday |
Catholic · Protestant (Western)
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | |
| 2027 | |
| 2028 |
Greek Orthodox
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | |
| 2027 | |
| 2028 |
Armenian Apostolic
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | |
| 2027 | |
| 2028 |
Syriac Orthodox
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | |
| 2027 | |
| 2028 |
Meaning and history
The name Pentecost comes from the Greek word for "fiftieth" and points to the 50th day after Easter. According to the book of Acts, while the disciples of the risen and ascended Jesus were gathered in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit came upon them with a sound like rushing wind and appearances like tongues of fire; they began to speak in the languages of many peoples, and through Peter's address that day the first large community joined the faith. For this reason Pentecost is regarded in Christian tradition as the founding day of the church. In the background of the feast stands Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks), Israel's harvest thanksgiving celebrated fifty days after Passover; the disciples being gathered in Jerusalem on that day is connected with this feast. The date of Pentecost depends on Easter: whichever Sunday Easter falls on, Pentecost is the Sunday seven weeks later, and so it ranges between 10 May and 13 June. In many church traditions the day recalls the place of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church, with the colour red and the symbol of fire in the foreground.