Whit Tuesday

Whit Tuesday (syn. Whittuesday, Whitsun Tuesday) is the Christian holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost Monday, the third day of the week beginning on Pentecost.[1] Pentecost is a movable feast in the Christian calendar dependent upon the date of Easter. "Whit" relates either to the white robes worn by those baptized on Pentecost, or to the French word "huit," since Pentecost is the eighth Sunday after Easter.[2]

Whit Tuesday
The Dancing procession of Echternach which takes place annually on Whit Tuesday in Echternach, Luxembourg.
Also calledPentecost Tuesday (Western), Third Day of the Trinity (Eastern)
Observed byMany European countries and some former colonies
TypeChristian, Public
Begins1st Tuesday After Whit Sunday
DateEaster + 51 days
2020 date
  • June 2 (Western)
  • June 9 (Eastern)
2021 date
  • May 25 (Western)
  • June 22 (Eastern)
2022 date
  • June 7 (Western)
  • June 14 (Eastern)
2023 date
  • May 30 (Western)
  • June 6 (Eastern)
Frequencyannual
Related toWhit Sunday, Whit Monday, Whit Friday, Trinity Sunday

Observance

It was a holiday in the Lutheran Church in Germany at Bach's time, where all major holidays were celebrated for three days. Bach and others composed cantata music for the occasion.

It used to be a public holiday in Denmark and Sweden. In Denmark it was abolished 26 October 1770, and in Sweden 4 November 1772, both places as part of larger reductions of the number of holidays.

The Dancing procession of Echternach takes place on Pentecost Tuesday. In the 19th century, it was also the occasion of the feast of Saint Tetha in Cornwall.[3]

Observance in Eastern Orthodoxy

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Whit Tuesday is known as the "Third Day of the Trinity" and is part of the Feast of Pentecost. Not only monasteries and cathedrals, but parish churches often celebrate the Divine Liturgy on this day.

See also

References
  1. Lucchese, Kathryn M. and Rylander ,Cathy "Folk like me: The read-aloud book of saints," Morehouse Publishing, 2008, ISBN 978-0-8192-2289-3, page 43.
  2. Rapalje, Stewart and Lawrence, Robert L., "A dictionary of American and English law, Volume 2," Frederick D. Linn & Co., 1888, page 1357
  3. Orme, Nicholas. English Church Dedications: With a Survey of Cornwall and Devon, p. 119. University of Exeter Press (Exeter), 1996.
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