Catholic Pentecost (Day of the Holy Spirit)
Description:
The feast in memory of the great event of the descent of the Holy Spirit was established by the apostles. After the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit, they began to celebrate Pentecost each year and commanded all Christians to remember this event (1 Corinthians 16:8; Acts 20:16).
In the Apostolic decrees it is commanded to celebrate Pentecost: “Ten days after the Ascension is the fiftieth day from the first day of the Lord (Easter); this day shall be a great feast.” For in the third hour of this day the Lord sent the gift of the Holy Spirit.
And the feast of Pentecost, called the Day of the Holy Spirit, from the earliest times was solemnly celebrated by the Church. A special celebration gave him the custom of the ancient Church to perform on this day the baptism of the catechumens (hence the singing at the liturgy of the feast “Christmas in Christ cross”).
Since ancient times, the custom has been preserved on the feast of Pentecost to decorate temples and dwellings with tree branches, plants and flowers. This custom was observed even in the Old Testament Church on the feast of Pentecost (Leviticus 23:10-17). Evidently, the room of Zion was also removed, where the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles on the day of Pentecost.