Holy Spirit Monday
Holy Spirit Monday is observed 50 days after Orthodox Easter in Greece. Also known as Orthodox Pentecost Monday, this day marks the end of the Easter cycle—a cycle that began approximately 92 days earlier with the start of Orthodox Shrove Monday. This is the end of a three-day religious celebration that’s considered a joyous occasion.
This three-day event is often referred to as Second Easter. Because it’s an important holiday, most schools and some businesses are closed for the day. It’s also a day when government offices are closed and is a day off for the general population.
The History of Holy Spirit Monday in Greece
As recorded in the New Testament, Pentecost Sunday commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit in the form of flames to the Apostles. The Spirit allowed the Apostles to speak in other languages to spread the word of Jesus Christ, and they began preaching to Jews coming to Jerusalem for the Feast of Shavuot.
This was the first time that the Apostles preached to the masses and the first time that the Holy Spirit completed the Holy Trinity with its arrival. This is considered by many Christians to be the beginning of the Church.
The Monday following Pentecost is known as Agiou Pneumatos and is a way for the public to have an additional day off for Pentecost and a way to celebrate the birthday of the Church.
Fun Facts About Greece
Below are some fun facts about Greece that we feel everyone will appreciate. We hope that the following facts will prove quite informative to everyone reading about Holy Spirit Monday. After all, we’ve gathered them together with quite a bit of care.
- Approximately 11 million people live in Greece. About 3.1 million of them live in Athens.
- Greece has a Unitary Parliamentary Republic as its primary form of government.
- Greece has over 9,000 miles of coastline.
- No point in Greece is more than 85 miles away from water.
- Greece produces about 7% of the world’s marble.
- In Greece, military service is compulsory for all Greek men. Service ranges from 6 to 9 months.
- Greece has more museums dedicated to archaeology than any other country on the planet.
Observing Holy Spirit Monday in Greece
Outside of religious services, there aren’t many public observations of this holiday. Most people take the time to make short trips with their families. For many Greeks, this day is a day for shopping, which is why only a small fraction of businesses close for this day. Most shops and restaurants remain open to serve the public. Schools are closed, however.