Pentecost Description
Celebrated fifty days after Orthodox Easter, Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, considered the birth of the Christian Church. Special Divine Liturgies with kneeling prayers (Gonatisma) are held in churches throughout Greece. In many regions, particularly islands like Patmos and Tinos, elaborate religious processions and panigiria take place. Government offices, banks, and most businesses close. The feast is one of the major Orthodox celebrations, and in some communities, fresh greenery and rose petals are scattered on church floors to symbolize the life-giving breath of the Holy Spirit.
