Pentecost Marks Church’s Birth

Why this is here: The disciples at Pentecost reportedly inspired about 3,000 people to become baptized followers of Christ, marking early growth for the organized church.

In Germany and over 30 other countries, Christians observe Pentecost, commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles 50 days after Easter. The holiday, also known as Whitsun, traces its origins to the Jewish Feast of Weeks, a harvest festival. Reverend Aljona Hofmann of Berlin’s Gethsemane Church explains the disciples felt lost after Jesus’s death, but the Holy Spirit gave them renewed strength and the ability to communicate across languages.

This miraculous understanding led to roughly 3,000 baptisms and the beginnings of the Christian Church. Pentecost is celebrated across Christian faiths with red as its symbolic color, representing joy and fire. Churches in Italy, Austria, Germany, and France visually represent the event with rose petals or dove figurines released through ceiling openings.

Hofmann notes Pentecost lacks the tangible imagery of Christmas or Easter, making it less widely known and less tied to commercial traditions. The holiday focuses on a spiritual gift—understanding—rather than material ones, and her church marks it with an ecumenical service and refreshments.