Seven weeks after Easter, Pentecost is the 50th day and the number 50 is what gave the day its name. This day, which marked the completion of the wheat harvest for the Jews, was a time for pilgrimage during the Feast of Weeks. The day of Pentecost is when the Christian Church celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit, recorded in Acts 2 as a remarkable event on that day. In Britain, Pentecost has also been called Whit Sunday, from a time when white clothes or vestments were worn on that day.

The remarkable event changed the disciples from confused, frightened people to ambassadors for Christ. In Acts 2 the event is described as a sound like violent wind, as tongues of fire resting on the disciples. The result: All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them ability. Acts 2:4 They were able to communicate good news to people from many parts of the eastern Mediterranean who had come on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Very quickly their witness led to thousands of people believing in Jesus. Here were the beginnings of the Christian Church.