Whit Monday is Pentecost Monday.  It is also known as the Monday of the Holy Spirit. Whit Monday occurs after Pentecost. As such, Whit Monday is also known as ‘the second day of Pentecost’ or ‘the second Pentecost’ in many countries. It is a moveable feast in the Christian calendar because it is determined by the date of Easter.

Whit Monday got its name from WhitSunday, which is the name for Pentecost, one of the baptismal season. The origin of the name ‘Whit’ is attributed to the white garment formerly worn by those newly baptised on the feast.

Whit Monday was recently inserted into the Universal Calendar of the Latin Church on February 11, 2018 during the 160th anniversary of the apparition of Mary at Lourdes by Pope Francis. This new obligatory memorial is also known as Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church.

Whit Monday is the first day of the resumption of Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time comprises two periods, the first period begins on Epiphany Day or the day after the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord and ends on the day before Ash Wednesday; and the second period begins on the Monday after Pentecost and ends on the Saturday before the First Sunday of Advent. In Germany, Whit Monday remains an obligatory holiday, when votive Mass of the Holy Spirit is held.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Whit Monday is known as the “Monday of the Holy Spirit’ or the ‘Day of the Holy Spirit’. It is the first day of the after feast of Pentecost and the day after it is the Third Day of the Trinity.