Whitsun

Uncommon card · No. 166159

Whitsun (also Whitsunday or Whit Sunday) is the name used in Britain and among Anglicans and Methodists in other countries, for the Christian holy day of Pentecost. It falls on the seventh Sunday after Easter and commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus' disciples (as described in Acts 2). Whitsuntide, the week following Whitsunday, was one of three holiday weeks for the medieval villein; on most manors he was free from service on the lord's demesne this week, which marked a pause in the agricultural year. Whit Monday, the day after Whitsun, remained a holiday in Britain until 1972, when it was replaced by a Spring Bank Holiday on the last Monday in May. Whitsun had been the occasion for many forms of celebration, and was of significant cultural importance. It was a custom for children to receive a new set of clothes, even among the poorest families, a tradition which continued well into the 20th century. In the North West of England, church and chapel parades called Whit...

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