Pentecost

Fifty days after Pascha, the Spirit descends in tongues of fire, and the Church is born.

Pentecost, also called Trinity Sunday, is the feast of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, fifty days after Pascha. It is kept on a Sunday, the same day on both calendars, and is one of the Twelve Great Feasts. That evening the Kneeling Vespers is served, and the week after Pentecost is fast-free.

In 2027 Pentecost falls on Sunday, June 20, for nearly all Orthodox Christians.

Also called the Descent of the Holy Spirit, Trinity Sunday.

Reckoning the date…

Next in the calendar: June 20, 2027

The moveable cycle in 2027 ›

Fifty days after the Resurrection, the Holy Spirit descends upon the apostles in the form of tongues of fire, and the frightened disciples become fearless preachers, speaking so that every nation hears the Gospel in its own tongue. Pentecost is the birthday of the Church: what Christ accomplished is now poured out on all who believe.

With Pentecost the revelation of the Holy Trinity is complete. At Theophany the Trinity was shown at the Jordan; now the Spirit, sent by the Father through the Son, comes to dwell in the Church and in each of the baptized. This is why the feast is also kept as Trinity Sunday: the whole mystery of the one God in three Persons stands revealed.

The confusion of Babel, where pride scattered the nations into many tongues, is here undone: the Spirit gathers the nations into one faith. On this day, for the first time since Pascha, the Church kneels again, in the great kneeling prayers of Pentecost, asking the Spirit to abide. The feast is measured from Pascha and always falls on a Sunday, fifty days after the Resurrection.

Questions about Pentecost

When is Pentecost?

On the Sunday fifty days after Pascha, counting Pascha as the first day, so it moves with Pascha each year.

What happened at Pentecost?

The Holy Spirit came upon the apostles as tongues of fire, and they began to preach in other tongues to the crowds in Jerusalem (Acts 2). The Church sees in that day its own birth.

What is the Kneeling Vespers?

A Vespers served on the evening of Pentecost, with long prayers read kneeling, the first kneeling since Pascha.

Is there fasting after Pentecost?

No. The week after Pentecost is fast-free, even on Wednesday and Friday. The Apostles' Fast begins after the Sunday of All Saints.

When is Pentecost in 2027?

In 2027 Pentecost falls on Sunday, June 20, for nearly all Orthodox Christians.

What are the readings for Pentecost?

For the feast:

At the Liturgy, the Epistle is Acts 2.1-11 and the Gospel is John 7.37-52, 8.12.
The Matins Gospel is John 20.19-23.
At Vespers, the readings include Numbers 11.16-17, 24-29; Joel 2.23-32; and Ezekiel 36.24-28.

On the day itself the calendar may also list another commemoration's readings.

More questions about the Orthodox Church, answered ›

In Orthros

The kneeling prayers of Pentecost are among the texts kept in Orthros, and the feast is reckoned from the paschalion and marked on the calendar, free to read.