Dusty Feasts

Official feasts used to be an important part of the human community. People would gather together to remember something sacred, express their faith and hope for the future, and / or just be together formally, recognizing each other as being part of a shared community. Few things express a desire for shared companionship and social intimacy more than dining together. Sadly, the gathering together for feasting is increasingly a relic of the past – at least here in the West.

It need not be so! Today we will remember the ancient feasts.

The Feast Day of Pentecost

This Feast is a Christian religious ceremony celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Jesus on the 49th Day after the Resurrection of Jesus (the 50th day if you include Resurrection Sunday in the counting.)

What is Pentecost?

Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christian holiday which takes place on the 49th day (50th day when inclusive counting is used) after Easter Sunday. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Mary, mother of Jesus and 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). While the Catholic Church believes the Holy Spirit descended upon Mary, this is not recorded in the New Testament.

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.

Etymology

The term Pentecost comes from Koinē Greek: πεντηκοστή, romanized: pentēkostē, lit. ‘fiftieth’. One of the meanings of “Pentecost” in the Septuagint, the Koine translation of the Hebrew Bible, refers to the festival of Shavuot, one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals, which is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Passover according to Deuteronomy 16:10, and Exodus 34:22,  where it is referred to as the “Festival of Weeks” (Koinē Greek: ἑορτὴν ἑβδομάδων, romanized: heortēn hebdomádōn). The Septuagint uses the term Pentēkostē in this context in the Book of Tobit and 2 Maccabees.

The translators of the Septuagint also used the word in two other senses: to signify the year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:10) an event which occurs every 50th year, and in several passages of chronology as an ordinal number. The term has also been used in the literature of Hellenistic Judaism by Philo of Alexandria and Josephus to refer to Shavuot

The Book of Acts (ESV)

2 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. ² And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ³ And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

⁵ Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. ⁶ And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. ⁷ And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? ⁹ Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, ¹¹ both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” ¹² And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” ¹³ But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

For Christians, this event was significant in several respects. First and foremost, Pentecost is the when the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God, within Believers commenced. In addition to that, though, it signaled the beginning of the reversal of the confusion set upon mankind since the Tower of Babel incident, and also it signaled that Christianity would be unlimited by geography. For Christians, Pentecost represents God’s intention to reclaim all the nations of the world.

If you read above though, you will notice that Christian Pentecost is also the Jewish celebration of Shavuot, or The Feast of Weeks. The Feast of Weeks / Shavuot marked the wheat harvest in the Israel and is traditionally also the date whereupon the Ten Commandments were given to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai. Orthodox Judaism marks this event as having occurred in 1312 BCE. The following video then explains the deeper underlying connection between Christian Pentecost and Jewish Shavuot, from the Christian perspective:

How is the Feast Day of Pentecost celebrated?

(via wiki)

In Italy it was customary to scatter rose petals from the ceiling of the churches to recall the miracle of the fiery tongues; hence in Sicily and elsewhere in Italy, the feast is called Pasqua rosatum. The Italian name Pasqua rossa comes from the red colours of the vestments used on Whitsunday.

In France it was customary to blow trumpets during Mass, to recall the sound of the mighty wind which accompanied the Descent of the Holy Spirit.

In the northwest of England, church and chapel parades called Whit Walks take place at Whitsun (sometimes on Whit Friday, the Friday after Whitsun). Typically, the parades contain brass bands and choirs; girls attending are dressed in white. Traditionally, Whit Fairs (sometimes called Whitsun Ales) took place. Other customs such as morris dancing and cheese rolling are also associated with Whitsun.

In Finland there is a saying known virtually by everyone which translates as “if one has no sweetheart until Pentecost, he/she will not have it during the whole summer.”

In Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu, people originating from Pentecost Island usually celebrate their island’s name-day with a special church service followed by cultural events such as dancing.

In Ukraine the springtime feast day of Zeleni Sviata became associated with the Pentecost. (The exact origin of the relationship is not known). The customs for the festival were performed in the following order: first, home and hearth would be cleaned; second, foods were prepared for the festival; finally, homes and churches were decorated with wildflowers and various types of green herbs and plants. A seven course meal may have been served as the Pentecost feast which may have included traditional dishes such as cereal with honey (kolyvo), rice or millet grains with milk, sauerkraut soup (kapusniak), chicken broth with handmade noodles (yushka z zaterkoiu), cheese turnovers (pyrizhky z syrom), roast pork, buckwheat pancakes served with eggs and cheese (mlyntsi), and baked kasha.

What do you eat for the Feast Day of Pentecost?

We can read several options listed, just above, but the one I will provide a recipe for kasha.

Ukrainian Beef and Buckwheat Kasha

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 cup (185g) kasha toasted buckwheat groats*
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 large red onion diced (1½ cups)
• 1 cup carrot ~2 carrots, cut in small ¼” (.5cm) dice or shredded
• ½ cup celery ~1 stalk, cut in small ¼” (.5cm) dice
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 lb (454gms) lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1¼ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1¾ cups (420ml) water
• 2 tablespoons butter or ghee

INSTRUCTIONS 

• *If using raw, untoasted buckwheat groats, I recommend to toast them first for a fuller flavour (see notes below), however you can use them untoasted if you wish.
• Rinse the buckwheat groats in a strainer under running water, then drain them well.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet or dutch oven with a tight fitting lid (or use foil when it’s time to cover it) over medium heat. Add the drained buckwheat kasha and cook them until they are dry, stirring constantly. This only takes a minute or two. Remove the kasha to a bowl and set aside (this step ensures the buckwheat doesn’t get mushy when cooked).
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet. Cook the onion, carrot, and celery for five minutes, until they are translucent. Add the garlic and the ground beef and cook until the meat is no longer pink, breaking up large chunks as it cooks (about 10 minutes).
• Add the marjoram, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Spread the reserved buckwheat evenly over the top of the hot meat and vegetable mixture. Pour the water over the buckwheat and do not stir. Bring the skillet to a boil, then lower the heat, cover with a lid or tin foil, and simmer the buckwheat kasha for 15 minutes without uncovering. Remove the pot from the heat, and dot the top with the butter.
• Cover again and leave it to steam for 10 minutes to absorb the remaining water. Stir gently to fluff the buckwheat grains.
• Serve with a dollop of sour cream or ketchup on top. Steamed vegetables and a salad make good side dishes to go with your buckwheat kasha.

NOTES

You can use raw, untoasted buckwheat for cooking kasha, but it won’t have the rich nutty flavour of toasted buckwheat. Toasted kasha is a darker brown colour – it may be easier to find in import stores.

However, you can easily toast raw buckwheat yourself. Rinse and drain the buckwheat, then put it into a dry skillet (without oil) and toast over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for about five minutes, until the grains are evenly browned. Or spread the buckwheat on a cookie sheet and toast it in the oven at 300°F (150°C),  for 35 to 40 minutes. Stir the grains halfway through so they brown evenly.

Is there a traditional prayer said on The Feast Day of Pentecost?

via traditionalcatholicprayers.com

The following is a traditional Catholic Novena prayer, said over the course of nine days. Click on the link above for more information about the prayer.

DAY ONE

O Holy Spirit! Lord of light!
From Thy clear celestial height,
Thy pure and beaming radiance give!

DAY TWO

Come, Thou Father of the poor!
Come, with treasures which endure!
Come, Thou light of all that live!

DAY THREE

Thou of all Consolers best,
Visiting the troubled breast,
Dost refreshing peace bestow.

DAY FOUR

Thou in toil art Comfort sweet,
Pleasant coolness in the heat,
Solace in the midst of woe.

DAY FIVE

Light immortal! Light Divine!
Visit Thou these hearts of Thine,
And our inmost being fill.

DAY SIX

If Thou take Thy grace away,
Nothing pure in man will stay;
All his good is turned to ill.

DAY SEVEN

Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness, pour Thy dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away.

DAY EIGHT

Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray.

DAY NINE

Thou, on those who evermore
Thee confess and Thee adore,
In Thy sevenfold Gifts descend.

Give them comfort when they die;
Give them life with Thee on high;
Give them joys which never end. Amen.

When is the Feast Day of Pentecost celebrated?

The date of Pentecost is determined by the date of Easter. It occurs on a Sunday and is always the 50th day after Passover / Easter, assuming you begin your counting on the day of the first celebration.

2024 date	May 19 (Western)June 23 (Eastern)
2025 date	June 8 (Western)June 8 (Eastern)
2026 date	May 24 (Western)May 31 (Eastern)

If anyone celebrates, I hope you have a wonderful day!