What is Pentecost and how is it celebrated?

Pentecost is a Christian festival which always falls fifty days after Easter.

It is a time when Christians remember the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Christians believe the Holy Spirit is the way in which God is present and active on Earth.

Pentecost is also often called the birthday of the Church, because through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus' disciples began to spread the message of Christianity.

Keep reading to find out more about Pentecost and how it is celebrated around the world.

The word 'Pentecost' comes from the Greek word for 'fifty'.

The celebration always takes place on the seventh Sunday after Easter, bringing the Easter season to an end.

At Pentecost, Christians celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit which Jesus promised to his disciples.

According to the Bible, Jesus' disciples were gathered together when they heard a sound like a powerful wind and saw what looked like flames above their heads.

Christians believe this was the arrival of the Holy Spirit.

The disciples then began speaking in different languages, allowing people from many countries to understand them.

It was after this event that the disciples began to spread the message of Christianity around the world.

For this reason, Pentecost is viewed as the birthday of the Christian Church and the start of its mission to the world.

Many Christians around the world celebrate Pentecost by going to church for special services and prayers.

Pentecost provides an opportunity for people to reflect on the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Churches are sometimes decorated in red, which symbolises the Holy Spirit, fire and the Love of God - and priests and deacons wear red vestments.

People dress in white to symbolise purity. As a consequence the day became known as White Sunday, Whit Sunday or Whitsun.