The Church celebrates Pentecost
On the fiftieth day after Pascha, the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles in the form of tongues of fire.
On May 31, 2026, the Church celebrates Pentecost – one of the Great Feasts of the Orthodox liturgical year.
The feast is observed on the fiftieth day after Pascha and commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, as described in the Book of Acts. For this reason, Pentecost is also known as Trinity Sunday, as the Church confesses the fullness of God's revelation in three Persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
A special festal Divine Liturgy is celebrated in Orthodox churches, followed by Vespers with the Kneeling Prayers, which are read for the first time since the beginning of the Paschal season. Churches are adorned with fresh greenery and flowers, symbolizing the renewal of life.
In Orthodox theology, Pentecost marks the beginning of the Church's full life and mission: having received the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the apostles went forth to preach the Gospel to all nations. For this reason, Pentecost is traditionally regarded as the birthday of the Church.
Earlier, a UOJ author examined why the Holy Spirit does not descend upon us today in the same way He descended upon the apostles.
