Question:

What is Pentecost? Being raised LDS this certainly wasn't something we ever acknowledged. I know today we celebrated the acsension and next Sunday is Pentecost, but I don't know exactly what it is.

Answer:

Pentecost is the celebration of the day that the Holy Spirit came to the disciples. It is the fulfillment of Matthew 3:11, where John the Baptist says "I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." The story is in Acts 2. This is why it is customary to wear red on Pentecost (representative of the flames.), and the altar will be dressed in red.

That's the concise answer, so I get to ramble…

Pentecost gets its name from the Greek for "50", being the fiftieth day after the beginning of Passover. It was the second in importance of the Jewish feasts, called the "Feast of Weeks" or "Feast of First-Fruits". We keep it 50 days after Easter, and its importance for us as Christians derives from the events Trish describes. For the early church, this was the watershed between being disciples - students - of a master, fearful and lost in that master's absence; and being Spirit-empowered leaders sent out to bring good news to the world. It is, therefor, considered the birthday of the Church. It is the third most important Holy Day, after Easter and Christmas.

Because of the powerful images of the Holy Spirit coming to indwell God's people, Pentecost is a traditional feast-day for Baptisms, and more especially for Confirmation. It is sometimes called Whitsunday (White Sunday) after the white dresses worn by girls for their confirmation (an old custom now grown rare). Other Baptismal festivals are Easter (of course), the Baptism of Our Lord (first Sunday after Epiphany) and All Saints Day (November 1).

You probably know that the Church recapitulates the entire history of Salvation in each Church Year. Starting with Advent (purple or blue) we rattle rapidly through creation, the establisment and Kingdom Israel, and the Prophets to the coming of the promised Messiah at Christmas (white or gold). Epiphany (green) and Lent (purple) take us through Jesus ministry. Passiontide (red, black, and bare) takes us through the Crucifixion. Eastertide (white or gold) and Ascension take us through the Resurrection. The day of Pentecost (red) kicks off the long slow season of Pentecost (green - formerly called the season of Trinity) which recapitulates the witness of the Church through the ages. A nice custom is to change the hangings from light green to darker more mature green at Lammastide (August 1), halfway through the season. Finally, on the last Sunday of the year, we celebrate Christ's triumph on Christ the King Sunday (white or gold -- formerly green and called "stir-up" Sunday).

The liturgical colours are expressed through hangings (called "paramets") which may including any of: altar frontal, superfrontal, bookmarks, curtains behind the altar, and hangings in front of the lectern and pulpit. The colours have their own symbolism: Purple for repentance and mourning, green for growth, blue for creation, white and gold for purity and celebration, red for the fire of the Spirit and the blood of the saints, black (rarely used) for Good Friday and Ash Wednesday and rose pink (also rarely used) for festivals of the blessed Virgin.