Whitsun

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A Christian festival celebrated on the seventh Sunday after Easter, often associated with the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles
2. The season marking the observance of Pentecost, commonly linked to the themes of renewal and the beginning of summer
3. A traditional period in the Anglican calendar that commemorates significant events in the early church, often observed with various customs and festivities

Etymology: Whitsun is simply a shortened form of "Whitsunday," the name for the Sunday that falls seven weeks after Easter. The "-day" was dropped over time, so the festival now carries the bare name, while "Whitsunday" itself is the older, fuller form that still appears in older writing and in the names of the day and the surrounding week. The "Whit" element is the more debated part of the word, and it is best treated with caution. The most commonly given explanation is that "Whit" refers to the white robes worn by people being baptised on that day, but the precise origin of the element is not settled, so this should be read as a plausible idea rather than an established fact.