By Chakara Bennett, Guardian Summer Intern

Are you anticipating sleeping in late on the upcoming Whit Monday holiday? Or better yet, of a good old family get together with good food and drink at the house, or maybe at the beach? After all, the purpose of a holiday is to celebrate a day away from work or school right? Well, just so you know, Whit Monday is not just another beach day. It is in fact a very important religious festival which many Bahamians fail to remember the significance of.

Whit Monday is the Monday following the day of Pentecost and is an extension of this celebratory day. It is called "Whit" in reference to the white baptismal garments that those being baptized wore in preparation for this sacrament.

During the period in which this festival originated, 3,000 people were saved and baptized after Peter's speech on the day of Pentecost. The white garments are a reference to those which they wore and the sea of whiteness and purity. This celebratory period also commemorates the third person in the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Today this festival is not recognized for its true purpose and seen as merely a holiday. In fact, many European countries that used to celebrate it no longer do or they only consider the holiday a solidarity day.

But on this day of Pentecost, Christians should be reflecting on the promise that God made when he said he'd send His spirit to dwell among us and be our comforter, says Pastor Randolph Philip Curtis, Sr. of The Church of God of Prophecy Life Center on Augusta Street.

"He was sent as a replacement for Jesus after His ascension. This day should be seen as a memorial to the Holy Spirit and to show that we remember what took place in the upper room on that particular day of Pentecost. Phenomenal things occurred on that day that should not be forgotten or overlooked. We should be reflecting on those values that gave us the life and birth of the Christian church. However, this importance is lost to the masses and the day is only seen as a holiday."

Bishop Simeon Hall, senior pastor at New Covenant Baptist Church, East-West Highway, feels that it is ironic that the holiday following the religious celebration receives more recognition and emphasis than the actual religious day itself.

"People should use the holiday time as a period of introspection rather than only recreation. It is essential that we receive the Spirit's guidance in this age where anything that is not nailed down is stolen and people are in fear of their lives," Hall said.

Monsignor Alfred Culmer of St. Thomas More Catholic Church reminds everyone that Whit Monday is not just some holiday that they decided to write on the calendar.

"Pentecost also known as Whit Sunday is the second greatest religious feast. It has the same driving force as other religious holidays. It even follows in the same patterns such as Christmas Day and Boxing Day, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday — then there is Pentecost and Whit Sunday. The significance of there being two days for these celebrations is that they are so important that the festivities overflow into the following day," said Monsignor Culmer.

The priest further reveals that the loss of reverence and respect for this very important religious holiday is mostly due to secularism.

"In many parts of Europe, Whit Monday is not acknowledged because people are losing track of its significance. Traditional things and celebrations today are taken out of context and because many feel that if it doesn't apply to today it isn't important. Once you pull away from traditions, origins and meaning everything loses its significance. It's like forgetting the history of Junkanoo. It'll just become some music festival that no one remembers and takes for granted. Just like keeping that image [of Junkanoo] alive, it is most important to keep traditions like Pentecost alive," said Monsignor Culmer.

There are some religious denominations that do not observe Whit Monday as a holiday.

"Seventh-Day Adventists do not observe such holidays and find no sacredness or importance in the day," says Pastor Barrington H. Brennen.

"In fact, Adventists only have one celebrant day as instructed in the Bible. It is found in Exodus 20:4-11 — The Seventh-Day Sabbath. There is neither biblical command nor teaching that suggests there should be any other religious celebration or day to set aside for holy use or religious festival.

"All festivals and feasts mentioned in the Old Testament were important festivals pointing to the ultimate sacrifice and Jesus on the Cross and the resurrection. These modern day religious holidays/celebrations are all man-made and offer no spiritual renewal, meaning, or purpose," he said.