WHY CELEBRATE PENTECOST?

Before Pentecost was a Christian festival, it was a Jewish holiday. Pentecost was a harvest festival 50 days after the Passover. (Pente means 50 in Greek.) The crops were harvested and the people celebrated with great feasts.

Pentecost is a great day of celebration for Christians! Pentecost comes 50 days after Easter. But the date isn’t nearly as exciting as the events of the very first Pentecost. You can read that Bible story in Acts 2. As you do that together, list all the surprises that happened that day!

On Pentecost today, Christians celebrate the first coming of the Holy Spirit to the church. RED is the liturgical color for Pentecost.

Check out these links

Scripture and Liturgy

This entry for Pentecost is from the Catholic encyclopedia (1917 copyright). Rose petals, trumpets and horse races? Check out the customs in the last paragraph.

For Kids: Hear the story of Pentecost (with an English accent) and see pictures. Also other great information.

For teens and adults: The Pentecost story is retold by A McBride

This is a good site from a Catholic religion textbook publisher which includes information about all three Sunday readings.

Use this sheet when you go to mass today.

Home and Family

Ethel Marbach in this entry from her 1964 book explains some ideas for the home.

Find some great ideas for a family Pentecost

How about baking a Pentecost cake.

...and I almost forgot our all time family favorite: Pin the Flame on the Disciple.

Wind Activities

Wind is a great symbol for the Holy Spirit because wind cannot be seen, but the effects of wind can be seen, heard and felt. Just like the Spirit among us.

What is wind?

Lots of ideas from Curious George.

Here is a whole booklet about wind and wind energy by GE

Would you like to make a wind sock, an easy kite 1, 2, 3
or a wind chime 1, 2, 3?

You could construct your own weathervane

Make a pinwheel for Pentecost, or a parachuting pinwheel.

You can use your own breath for these: Wind painting, Soap Bubbles, Bubble Gum

Try making your own balloon rocket.

How smart are you?

...smarter than a Fourth Grader?

Try this crossword puzzle about the Pentecost story from Acts of the Apostles.

From the Artist's Eye

Do you want to see the way people from different cultures picture what happened on Pentecost? Africa, 6th century Syriac, Paris 1732, Assisi 1920's, modern, modern China, and scroll to page 19 for Japan and Thiland

Or learn how an artist paints wind.