Pentecost & Holy Spirit Day celebrated
Orthodox Pentecost is celebrated in Greece seven weeks and a day (50 days) following Easter. This puts Orthodox Pentecost in late May to mid-June in Greece, and the feast traditionally lasts for three days, Sunday through Tuesday. A public holiday is provided for Whit Monday.
Pentecost is a Christian holiday celebrated on the 50th day after Easter, 7 weeks after Easter Sunday. It is a public holiday that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and it is always celebrated on a Sunday. It is considered the establishment of the Church, the coming of the Spirit, the revelation of the Trinity, and a day to celebrate membership in God's family. On the eve of Pentecost, an all-night vigil is held in churches, and the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom is read. Pentecost is also known as Trinity Sunday, it is considered a "Great Feast" and it is celebrated with great attention in Greece as it is chronologically the most important holiday after Easter. is a week-long celebration. It is the observance about the totality of the human soul. Traditionally, housekeepers cook the ritual "koliva" (made of wheat kernels, honey or sugar) on Friday eve for them to make visitations upon the priests at church. The weekend of Pentecost which takes place in late May or early June is an excellent opportunity to get away from the city and most people in Greece visit the countryside or the Greek islands to celebrate Pentecost and enjoy the first days of summer.
Greeks don't typically celebrate Pentecost outside of religious observations. Instead, families take short trips to the coast or island destinations. As a result, most shops will be closed on Sunday in Athens and Greece's largest cities, but on the Greek islands and in resort areas, they're more like to be open because so many Greeks visit them during the holiday break.
The Monday following Pentecost—known as Agiou Pneumatos or Holy Spirit Day—is also a legal holiday in Greece and, as with Monday holidays throughout the Western world today, it has become a time for shopping the sales. Schools and businesses are closed, but shops, restaurants, and cafes for the most part remain open.
