"O SING unto the Lord a new song for he hath done marvellous things." (Psalm 98: 1)
Pentecost is the feast of the universal church that commemorates the descent of the Holy Ghost on the Apostles fifty days after the resurrection of Our Lord. The holiday coincides with the Jewish harvest festival know as Shavuot. Within the English church, the holiday is known as Whitsuntide due to the colour of the garments worn by those who were baptized during the vigil of the feast.
As a Christian celebration, Whitsunday dates back to the first century, and as a result, it is not surprising that there is little early evidence of it. The feast which was originally only one day in duration, and fell on a Sunday; additionally, it was so very tied to Easter that it appears to have not been much more than the end of Paschaltide.
In previous generations civil and ecclesiastical courts did not sit during Whitsuntide, and servile work was forbidden. In addition, in England the gentry amused themselves with horse races and Ember day commemorations. While Whitsun Ales and county merry-makings are almost wholly forgotten in England, in Italy it is still custom to scatter rose leaves from the ceiling of the churches to recall the miracle of the fiery tongues; hence in Sicily and elsewhere in Italy Pentecost is called Pascha rosatum.
The colour of the vestments worn for the feast is red, symbolic of the love of the Holy Ghost or of the tongues of fire.
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