View source for Whit Monday

{{short description|Holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost}}
{{Infobox holiday
|holiday_name  = Whit Monday
|nickname      = Pentecost Monday (Western), Monday of the Holy Spirit (Eastern)
|type          = christian
|image         = File:Andrej Rublëv 001.jpg
|imagesize     =
|caption       = Medieval [[Russian icon]] of the [[Old Testament]] [[Trinity]] by [[Andrei Rublev]], used as the icon of the [[Festival|feast]] for Whit Monday.
|official_name =
|observedby    = Many [[European countries]], and some former colonies
|litcolor      = 
|longtype      = Christian, Public
|significance  =
|begins        = 1st Monday after [[Whit Sunday]]
|ends          =
|date          =
|date{{LASTYEAR}}    = {{Unbulleted list 
  | {{Moveable date |holiday=Whit Monday |format=infobox |year={{LASTYEAR}}}} (Western)
  | {{Moveable date |holiday=Whit Monday (Eastern) |format=infobox |year={{LASTYEAR}}}} (Eastern) }}
|date{{CURRENTYEAR}} = {{Unbulleted list 
  | {{Moveable date |holiday=Whit Monday |format=infobox |year={{CURRENTYEAR}} |cite=y}} (Western)
  | {{Moveable date |holiday=Whit Monday (Eastern) |format=infobox |year={{CURRENTYEAR}}}} (Eastern) }}
|date{{NEXTYEAR}}    = {{Unbulleted list 
  | {{Moveable date |holiday=Whit Monday |format=infobox |year={{NEXTYEAR}}}} (Western)
  | {{Moveable date |holiday=Whit Monday (Eastern) |format=infobox |year={{NEXTYEAR}}}} (Eastern) }}
|date{{NEXTYEAR|2}}  = {{Unbulleted list 
  | {{Moveable date |holiday=Whit Monday |format=infobox |year={{NEXTYEAR|2}}}} (Western)
  | {{Moveable date |holiday=Whit Monday (Eastern) |format=infobox |year={{NEXTYEAR|2}}}} (Eastern) }}
|duration      = 1 day
|frequency     = Annual
|celebrations  =
|observances   =
|relatedto     = [[Whit Sunday]], [[Whit Tuesday]], [[Whit Friday]], [[Trinity Sunday]]
}}
'''Whit Monday''' or '''Pentecost Monday''', also known as '''Monday of the Holy Spirit''', is the [[holiday]] celebrated the day after [[Pentecost]], a [[moveable feast]] in the Christian [[liturgical calendar]]. It is moveable because it is determined by the date of [[Easter]]. In the [[Catholic Church]], it is the '''Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church''', marking the resumption of [[Ordinary Time]].

Whit Monday gets its name from "[[Whitsunday]]", an English name for Pentecost, one of the three [[baptism]]al seasons. The origin of the name "Whit Sunday" is generally attributed to the white garments formerly worn by those newly baptised on this feast.<ref>{{cite book |last=Campion |first=William Magan |author-link=William Magan Campion |date=1870 |title=The Prayer book interleaved with historical illustrations and explanatory notes arranged parallel to the text |volume=5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D8QCAAAAQAAJ&q=Whitsunday+baptized&pg=PA125 |location=London |publisher=Longmans, Green & Co. |page=125 |isbn= |access-date=5 June 2017}}</ref>

==Observance==
Pentecost is always on a Sunday<ref>{{cite web |last=Campbell |first=Phillip |date=2 June 2022 |title=Why is Pentecost on a Sunday? |url=https://catholicexchange.com/why-is-pentecost-on-a-sunday/ |website=catholicexchange.com |location=Nashua, New Hampshire |publisher=[[Sophia Institute Press]] |access-date=27 May 2025}}</ref> and is therefore usually a non-working day. The Monday after Pentecost is a [[public holiday]] in: [[Andorra]], [[Antigua and Barbuda]], [[Anguilla]], [[Austria]], [[the Bahamas]], [[Barbados]], [[Belgium]], [[Benin]], [[British Virgin Islands|The British Virgin Islands]], [[Central African Republic]], [[Congo-Brazzaville|Republic of Congo]], [[Cyprus]], [[Denmark]], [[Dominica]], [[France]], [[Gabon]], [[Germany]], [[Greece]], [[Grenada]], [[Hungary]], [[Iceland]], [[Ivory Coast]], [[Liechtenstein]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Madagascar]], [[Monaco]], [[Montserrat]], [[Netherlands|The Netherlands]], [[Norway]], [[Romania]], [[Saint Lucia]], [[Saint Kitts and Nevis]], [[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines]], [[Senegal]], [[Solomon Islands]], [[Switzerland]], [[Togo]] and [[Ukraine]].<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=n.d. |title=Whit Monday around the world in 2025 by Day |url=https://www.officeholidays.com/byday/whit-monday |website=officeholidays.com |location= |publisher= |access-date=27 May 2025}}</ref> In many of these countries, Whit Monday is known as "the second day of Pentecost" or "the second Whitsun".{{Citation needed|date=September 2025}}

Whit Monday was a [[bank holiday]] in the [[United Kingdom]] up until 1964. From 1965 to 1970 it was moved to the last Monday in May on a trial basis. It was then formally replaced by the fixed [[Spring Bank Holiday]] on the last Monday in May in 1971.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=n.d. |title=Spring Bank Holiday ... in the United Kingdom |url=http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/uk/spring-bank-holiday |website=timeanddate.com |location= |publisher= |access-date=28 May 2025}}</ref> Until 1973, Whit Monday was a [[public holidays in the Republic of Ireland|public holiday in Ireland]]. It was formally replaced by the fixed [[June Bank Holiday]] on the first Monday in June in 1973.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=n.d. |title=June Bank Holiday |url=https://www.bankholidays.ie/june-bank-holiday |website=bankholidays.ie |location= |publisher= |access-date=28 May 2025}}</ref> Whit Monday was a public holiday in various former [[Territorial_evolution_of_the_British_Empire#List_of_territories_that_were_once_a_part_of_the_British_Empire|British colonies]], especially in the Pacific. It remains a public holiday in some of the countries of the [[Commonwealth Caribbean]].

Whit Monday is not a public holiday in the [[United States]], but some US churches organise Whit Monday [[Prayer meeting|prayer rallies]], which include prayers and street marches. Historically, Whit Monday used to be one of the major annual holidays in [[Pennsylvania Dutch Country]]. From around [[1835 in the United States|1835]] to just after the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], Whit Monday was referred to as the "Dutch [[Independence Day (United States)|Fourth of July]]" in [[Lancaster,_Pennsylvania#19th_century|Lancaster, Pennsylvania]], where people came to eat, drink and be entertained.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=n.d. |title=Whit Monday ... in the United States |url=https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/whit-monday |website=timeanddate.com |location= |publisher= |access-date=29 May 2025}}</ref> Whit Monday is not a public holiday in [[Australia]], but church events which observe Whit Monday may include [[Vespers|evening services]], [[Cell group|Bible group]] meetings, and [[Sunday school]] lessons which focus on teaching children about the origins and the meaning of Whit Monday and Whit Sunday.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=n.d. |title=Whit Monday ... in Australia |url=https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/australia/whit-monday |website=timeanddate.com |location= |publisher= |access-date=29 May 2025}}</ref>

In Germany, Whit Monday ({{langx|de|Pfingstmontag}} {{IPA|de|p͡fɪŋstˈmoːntaːk||De-Pfingstmontag.ogg}}) is a [[Holy Day of obligation]] for [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]].<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=5 October 1995 |title=Deutsche Bischofskonferenz |url=http://www.drs.de/fileadmin/Rechtsdoku/4/4/2/95_23_15.pdf |website=drs.de |location= |publisher= |access-date=29 May 2025 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325150400/http://www.drs.de/fileadmin/Rechtsdoku/4/4/2/95_23_15.pdf |archive-date=25 March 2009}}</ref> In France, Whit Monday became a work-day for many workers from 2005 to 2007. This was to raise extra funds following the government's lack of preparation for a summertime heat wave, which led to a shortage of proper health care for the elderly.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=6 May 2008 |title=French Government Restored A Holiday |url=http://www.timeanddate.com/news/holidays/france-solidarity-day.html |website=timeanddate.com |location= |publisher= |access-date=17 April 2009}}</ref> It continues to be a "worked public holiday" in France.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=24 April 2012 |title=Fêtes légales et jours fériés |url=http://www.service-public.fr/actualites/00790.html |website=service-public.fr |location= |publisher= |access-date=17 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503210415/http://service-public.fr/actualites/00790.html |archive-date=3 May 2012}}</ref> Whit Monday is celebrated in [[South Tyrol]], and for its capital city [[Bolzano]] it replaces the holiday of the local patron saint celebrated elsewhere in [[Italy]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Vianello |first=Giampietro |date=17 May 2024 |title=Why isn’t Pentecost Monday a public holiday in Italy? |url=https://www.thelocal.it/20240517/why-isnt-pentecost-monday-a-public-holiday-in-italy |website=thelocal.it |location=Stockholm, Sweden |publisher=[[The Local]] |access-date=28 May 2025}}</ref> In [[Sweden]], Whit Monday was a public holiday until 2004; it was replaced by the [[National Day of Sweden]] in 2005.<ref>[http://www.riksdagen.se/sv/Dokument-Lagar/Lagar/Svenskforfattningssamling/Lag-1989253-om-allmanna-hel_sfs-1989-253/ Sveriges riksdag – Svensk författningssamling 1989:253 – "Lag (1989:253) om allmänna helgdagar".]</ref> 

Although Whit Monday is a civil holiday in many countries, it was not a Catholic religious holiday any more than the other weekdays which follow [[Pentecost]] Sunday. Until the [[Mysterii Paschalis|1969 revision]] of the [[General Roman Calendar]], they were part of the [[Octave (liturgical)|octave]] of Pentecost, which was added in the 7th century.<ref>{{cite book |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=1969 |title=Calendarium Romanum |url=https://ia800303.us.archive.org/22/items/CalendariumRomanum1969/Calendarium%20Romanum%20%281969%29.pdf |location= |publisher=Libreria Editrice Vaticana |page=56 |isbn= |access-date=28 May 2025}}</ref> The Monday after Pentecost is now the first day of the resumption of [[Ordinary Time]]. While the details differ from [[diocese]] to diocese, the most widespread practice in [[Germany]] (where the holiday remains an obligation) was to have a compulsory [[votive Mass]] of the [[Holy Spirit]], outranking even [[solemnities]] (these would be local solemnities in that case).

However, in February 2018, [[Pope Francis]] declared that henceforth, Whit Monday will be the fixed date for the celebration of a new feast, officially known as the "Memorial of [[Mary, the mother of Jesus|Mary]], [[Mother of the Church]]" to be celebrated throughout the [[Latin Church|Western Catholic Church]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Watkins |first=Devin |date=3 March 2018 |title=Pope institutes new celebration of Mary, Mother of Church |url=http://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-03/pope-institutes-new-celebration-of-mary--mother-of-church.html |website=[[Vatican News]] |location=Vatican City |publisher= |access-date=28 May 2025}}</ref> with the exception of the [[Personal Ordinariate|Ordinariates]], where the [[Octave (liturgy)|octave]] of [[Pentecost|Whitsun Week]] has been restored, and the new Memorial is observed on the Saturday after [[Feast of the Ascension|Ascension Day]].<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=n.d. |title=Ordo |url=http://ordinariate.net/ordo/ |website=The [[Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter|Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter]] |location=Houston, Texas |publisher= |access-date=28 May 2024 |quote=❖ Because Pentecost has a privileged [[Octave]] in the calendar of the Ordinariate, the Memorial of [[Mary, the mother of Jesus|The Blessed Virgin Mary]], [[Mother of the Church]], is observed on the Saturday after Ascension Day. (Notation on Whit Monday in the 2024 Ordo linked here.)}}</ref>

===Observance in Eastern Orthodoxy and the Eastern Catholic Churches===
In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] and the [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] Whit Monday is known as "Monday of the Holy Spirit" or "Day of the Holy Spirit".<ref>{{cite web |last=Gaskill |first=Alonzo L. |date=n.d. |title=What is the Christian Holiday of Pentecost? |url=https://www.patheos.com/answers/what-is-the-christian-holiday-of-pentecost |website=[[Patheos]] |location= |publisher= |access-date=29 May 2025}}</ref> It is the first day of the [[afterfeast]] of Pentecost, being dedicated specifically to the honour of [[God in Christianity|God]] the [[Holy Spirit]], and particularly in commemoration of His descent upon the apostles at Pentecost.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=n.d. |title=Pentecost: The Descent of the Holy Spirit |url=https://www.oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/worship/the-church-year/pentecost-the-descent-of-the-holy-spirit |website=[[Orthodox Church in America]] |location=Alexandria, Virginia |publisher= |access-date=29 May 2025}}</ref> The day following is known as the [[Whit Tuesday|Third Day of the Trinity]]. In 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 (liturgy)|dismissal]] is the same as on the day of Pentecost. Special [[Canon (hymnography)|canons]] to the Holy Spirit are chanted at [[Compline]] and [[Matins]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Vasilik |first=Vladimir |date=6 August 2014 |title=On the Second Canon for Pentecost |url=https://orthochristian.com/71325.html |website=orthochristian.com |location= |publisher= |access-date=29 May 2025}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Azores Day]]
* {{Portal-inline|Christianity}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=46 Trinity Week—Day of the Holy Spirit] Orthodox [[icon]] and [[synaxarion]]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv9wwu9D98I Whit Monday Procession], Manchester, England; [[Pathé News]], 1924

{{Pentecost|state = expanded}}

[[Category:Pentecost]]
[[Category:Public holidays in Denmark]]
[[Category:Public holidays in Germany]]
[[Category:Public holidays in Norway]]
[[Category:Holidays based on the date of Easter]]
[[Category:May observances]]
[[Category:June observances]]
[[Category:Monday observances]]