Whitsun: what do we celebrate, and when is it in 2027?

Whitsun is one of those public holidays many people know the name of without quite knowing what lies behind it. Here's a clear and straightforward rundown of what Whitsun is about, when it falls in the coming years, and which traditions are still linked to it in Denmark.

The short answer: what is Whitsun

Whitsun is a Christian festival commemorating the apostles being filled with the Holy Spirit and then being able to preach the gospel in foreign languages. The episode is called the Whitsun miracle, and it's traditionally regarded as the birth of the Christian church. The next Whit Sunday is Sunday 16 May 2027, and Whit Monday is Monday 17 May 2027.

When is Whitsun in the coming years

Whit Sunday always falls on the seventh Sunday after Easter and therefore lands on a different date each year, ranging from as early as 10 May to as late as 13 June. Here are the dates for Whit Sunday and Whit Monday in the coming years.

What we celebrate at Whitsun

According to Acts chapter 2, the apostles were gathered to celebrate the Jewish festival of Shavuot when suddenly there came a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and tongues as of fire rested on each of them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, so that Jews from many parts of the world could understand them. This happened ten days after the Ascension of Christ.

This episode is called the Pentecost miracle, and it's traditionally regarded as the birth of the Christian church, because it was here that the apostles truly began to preach the gospel.

The word Whitsun and its Jewish roots

The word Whitsun comes from the Greek pentekoste, meaning the fiftieth, that is, the 50th day after Easter. The festival has roots in the Old Testament, where it was originally a thanksgiving festival for the grain harvest seven weeks, or 50 days, after Passover. In Judaism, the festival is called Shavuot and was first celebrated as a harvest festival and later in memory of the Israelites receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai.

In the Christian church, Whitsun is the third major festival after Christmas and Easter, and it concludes the seven weeks of joy following Easter. Red is the colour of Whitsun in the Western churches and symbolises the joy and fire of the Holy Spirit. In the Danish national church's services, Whitsun is often linked with nature's awakening, among other things in Grundtvig's Whitsun hymn "I al sin glans nu stråler solen" ("In all its glory now shines the sun") from 1843.

The public holidays at Whitsun

Whit Sunday and Whit Monday are both public holidays in Denmark. A third Whit day used to exist, but it was abolished with the public holiday reform of 1770. Whit Monday is also a public holiday in, among others, Norway, Iceland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Austria.

Outdoor church services on Whit Monday are a widespread custom in many places, while midnight services on Whit Saturday night are not common in the Danish national church.

Danish Whitsun traditions

Whitsun is not linked to as many folk traditions today as Christmas and Easter, but it hasn't always been that way.

• According to Danish folklore, you can see the Whitsun sun dance on Whit Sunday morning, a tradition probably carried over from Easter morning.
• An old custom says that on Whit Sunday morning you should go outside and sweep towards the door to gather luck for the house for the rest of the year.
• By Whitsun, the forest is in full leaf, and in the larger towns of the 1800s, the days off were often used for trips to the woods and picnics in the green.
• In parts of western Southern Jutland, children held a Whitsun wedding, forming a procession and pretending to choose a groom and bride. During the 1900s, Whitsun also became a popular time for real weddings.
• The Whitsun lunch has been strong at times, but the tradition has partly been overtaken by the Easter lunch. Some breweries still make a special Whitsun brew.

The Whitsun fish: a newer tradition

The idea of fish as a Whitsun meal originates from Bishop Jan Lindhardt of the Diocese of Roskilde, who in 1999 began promoting it together with the Fish Industry Association. Fish is an old Christian symbol, because the Greek word for fish, ichthys, is made up of the initial letters of the Greek phrase for Jesus Christ, Son of God and Saviour.

Each year, Danish fishmongers choose a Whitsun fish. The first was the eel in 2000, and in 2025 the catfish was given the title. If you're serving this year's Whitsun fish, a fish platter such as Snapper fish platter in stoneware from &Klevering can be a simple way to present the fish properly on the table.

Frequently asked questions

What is Whitsun?

Whitsun is a Christian festival commemorating the apostles being filled with the Holy Spirit and being able to preach the gospel in foreign languages. It's traditionally regarded as the birth of the church.

What do you celebrate at Whitsun?

You celebrate the Pentecost miracle, where the apostles, according to Acts chapter 2, were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, ten days after the Ascension of Christ.

When is Whitsun in 2027?

Whit Sunday in 2027 is Sunday 16 May, and Whit Monday is Monday 17 May.

Why do we have the day off on Whit Monday?

Whit Monday is a public holiday in Denmark and several other European countries, including Norway, Germany and France. A former third Whit day was abolished with the public holiday reform of 1770.

What does the word Whitsun mean?

The word comes from the Greek pentekoste, meaning the fiftieth, that is the 50th day after Easter.

What is the Whitsun fish?

The Whitsun fish is a more recent tradition from 1999, when bishop Jan Lindhardt and the Fish Industry Association began promoting fish as a Whitsun meal. Each year, Danish fishmongers choose a Whitsun fish, most recently the wolffish in 2025.

Summary

Whitsun is about the Pentecost miracle and the coming of the Holy Spirit, an event that made the festival the birth of the Church. It falls on the seventh Sunday after Easter, in 2027 on 16 and 17 May, and still carries traces of old Danish customs, from the Whitsun sun to the Whitsun fish.

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