Learn about the origin of the Pfingsten holiday and its significance
Millions of people in Germany celebrate a long holiday for Pfingsten, but many do not know the true meaning of this Christian holiday. Pfingsten is one of the three major holidays in the Christian church year alongside Christmas and Easter.
"Pfingsten" comes from the Greek word "Pentekoste", which means "the fiftieth day", as the festival occurs fifty days after Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Christ. Its roots are connected to the Jewish harvest festival known as Schawuot.
According to the "Acts of the Apostles" in the Bible, the disciples of Christ gathered in Jerusalem on this day when what is known as the "Pfingsten miracle" occurred. A strong sound came from heaven like a storm, and tongues of fire appeared and settled on the heads of the disciples, filling them with the Holy Spirit and causing them to speak in languages they had not known before. This sudden ability to speak in multiple languages was, according to Christian faith, a sign of the Holy Spirit's arrival, which is an invisible divine power. The disciples understood that they had to spread the message of Christ in all the languages of the world, which is why the Feast of Pfingsten is considered the birth of the church.
Despite this deep religious background, Pfingsten is associated in the minds of many Germans with the long spring holiday more than its spiritual meanings, especially since its traditions are not as widespread as those related to Christmas or Easter.
In some areas, churches are decorated with birch branches, and small wooden birds are raised from the church ceiling symbolizing the Holy Spirit, and often the white dove is used as a symbol for this holiday.