We find the word “Pentecost” in Acts of the Apostles 2:1-4:
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
The reason many Jews gathered on this day in Jerusalem was that Pentecoste was one of the three Jewish holidays that the Mosaic Law commanded to be celebrated in Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 16:16). The Jewish Pentecost was a harvest feast that was to be celebrated 50 days after the celebration Easter. Hence, the name “Pentecost” comes from the Greek word “pentekoste” which means “fiftieth”. The Jewish Pentecost was celebrated in 7 days thus it is called the “Festival of Weeks” (Hebrew: shavuot) in the Old Testament (Numbers 28:26).
When it comes to the Christians, Pentecost has another meaning. As mentioned in Acts 2:1-4, it was on the Pentecost that the first Christian congregation was created, and the Christians received the miraculous gift to speak languages they had never known before. Since there were many travellers from many places far away because of the celebration of the Jewish Pentecost, they could hear the message of Jesus in their language.
In addition, Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The result of what happened on the day of the Pentecost was that the message of Jesus was spread to remote places in a short amount of time.
Why is Pentecost celebrated?
Store Norske Leksikon says, “It is celebrated in memory of the Holy Ghost, according to The New Testament, who came to the apostles and let them speak each other languages and understand foreign languages as their own. Thus, all people could understand the message of Jesus”.
In the two first centuries, one does not find anything that indicates that this day was celebrated. However, according to Store Norske Leksikon, some sources show that it began in the 200s. In an interview with the Nettavisen, the folklore researcher at the University of Oslo, Ørnulf Hodne said: “It is an ancient Christian tradition and probably firmly established as early as the fourth century”.
