Bulgarian Orthodox Christians Mark Pentecost
24/6/13
Fifty days after Easter, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church is feasting on Sunday Pentecost (Whitsunday), also called Holy Trinity.
On this day the Church commemorates the Descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, fifty days after the Resurrection of Christ.
It also has the name of Whitsunday, because of the white garments worn by those who were baptized during the vigil.
Historically and symbolically Pentecost is related to the Jewish harvest festival of Shavuot, which commemorates God giving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai fifty days after the Exodus.
Pentecost is celebrated as a major feast day in all of the ancient Apostolic Churches of East and West, and is considered the birthday of the Church.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, however, the feast does not stand alone. On Pentecost it also celebrates the day of the Holy Trinity and on the Saturday preceding it is “Zadoushnitsa”, dedicated to the remembrance of the dead.
