All those public holidays with Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost

And how it all works again

Easter, King's Day, Pentecost, and Ascension. We are quite loaded with mandatory public holidays. One has just passed, and you have to rush to the next. But why and how does it actually work? King's Day seems logical to me, but when did Jesus rise and ascend again? I had my fair share of religion and Bible history in primary and secondary school (and I did listen, even though my teacher thought otherwise), so – in case you’ve forgotten – this is how it works.

Easter

Christians celebrate that Jesus has risen from the dead, after Holy Week in which he was crucified at Golgotha on Good Friday. By the way, Easter is forty days after Carnival (also known as Shrove Tuesday, which I diligently celebrate), so it's easy to remember. It starts with Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. More important than Christmas for Christians.

Ascension

This is forty days after Easter, and then the church commemorates that Jesus ascended to heaven after his resurrection. Ascension Day, that covers it quite well.

Pentecost

Comes from the Greek word Pèntekostè, which means fifty. Quite logical, because Pentecost is fifty days after Easter. Christians celebrate that the Holy Spirit came into the followers of Jesus and that they shared the story of Jesus in a language unfamiliar to them. The Bible refers to speaking in tongues, which simply means different languages. Believers see this as the start of the church.

Voilà, there you have your public holidays. The Netherlands is originally a Christian country, and that’s why you have a long weekend.