Learn all about Pentecost and Ascension Day
Now Playing: Lesson Audio
Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
| Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class- Holidays in the Netherlands Series at DutchPod101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind Dutch holidays and observances. I’m Eric, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 5. Pentecost and Ascension Day. In Dutch, these are [Pinksteren] and [Hemelvaart] |
| Pentecost, or [Pinksteren], comes exactly ten days after Ascension Day and 40 days after Easter. Like Christmas and Easter, the Pentecost holiday lasts for two days. |
| In this lesson, you’ll learn the ins and outs of Pentecost and Ascension Day and how they’re celebrated in the Netherlands. |
| Now, before we get into more detail, do you know the answer to this question? |
| What is the origin of the word "Pentecost," or [Pinksteren]? |
| If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later. Keep listening. |
| Many people in the Netherlands, especially the younger generation, only recognize Pentecost as a day off, or [vrije dag] in Dutch. But of course, most people know there’s more to the story than that. Pentecost derives from the Jewish Feast of Weeks, also known as Shavuot. |
| Whereas Pentecost was originally a feast of thanks for bringing in a good harvest, it has taken on a new meaning since the second century AD, namely as a day of commemoration of the Covenant between God and Israel. |
| Ascension Day, or in Dutch [Hemelvaart], is the day Dutch people commemorate Jesus Christ finally finding his way back to heaven. As Easter comes on a different day each year, so does Ascension Day, falling exactly forty days after Easter and always on a Thursday, or [donderdag]. On this day, public officials and other workers are obligated to take the day off, but many stores keep their regular hours, drawing many to venture out in bigger cities like Amsterdam and Utrecht to go shopping, or [winkelen]. |
| During Pentecost weekend, many Dutch people find their way to Pinkpop, a three-day pop music festival in [Landgraaf]. The festival runs for three days and attracts about 60,000 people a day. Pinkpop is one of the longest running annual pop festivals in the world, almost always falling on the weekend after Pentecost. Many attendees wear the iconic pink Pinkpop hats, which are a fun way to create a festive atmosphere. |
| Now it's time to answer our quiz question- |
| What is the origin of the word "Pentecost"? |
| Pentecost is a cognate that derives from a Greek word that signifies the number fifty, or [vijftig] in Dutch. This number refers to the day when Pentecost is celebrated. |
| What did you think of this lesson? Did you learn anything interesting? |
| Do you have a better understanding of how we calculate the date of the Pentecost now? |
| Leave us your comments on DutchPod101.com, and we'll see you in the next lesson. |
Comments
Hide