Pentecost (nl: pinksteren) commemorates the sending of the Holy Spirit. The name comes from the Greek (πεντηκοστὴ ἡμέρα pentēkostē hēméra) and means 'fiftieth day'. It is the fiftieth day after Easter and commemorates the Christian Church's founding.

It was first mentioned as a Christian festival in the year 130. During Pentecost, it is celebrated that the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Blessed Trinity, descended from heaven upon the apostles and the other believers present. It is thus the feast of the sending of the Holy Spirit.

Public holiday, day off & opening hours

Whit Sunday and Whit Monday (nl: eerste en tweede pinksterdag) are official public holidays in the Netherlands. Whether or not you have to work on these days depends on your collective agreement or employment contract. It is the case throughout the country that public institutions, schools and offices are closed on Whit Monday.

Similar to Easter, many shops are closed on Sundays and open on Mondays. However, this depends very much on local regulations and permits. Please check the opening hours on the respective website well in advance.

Whether shops are open on Sundays varies from municipality to municipality. The basic principle of the Shop Opening Act is that shops are closed on Sundays and public holidays before 6:00 am and after 10:00 pm. But municipalities can grant permission to shop owners to open their shops on these days and at these times. Besides Sunday, these are:

• New Year's Day
• Easter Monday
• Ascension Day
• Whit Monday
• both Christmas Days

Festivals and weekends away

Dutch people use these days to visit one of the many festivals, to take advantage of a "lang weekendje weg", or to visit family or friends. Therefore, expect traffic jams and crowds at tourist sites. If you want to book a trip, do it in good time.

Pentecost in the Netherlands:

Pinksteren 2023	Pentecost 2023	Whit Sunday, 28th May 2023 Whit Monday, 29th May 2023
Pinksteren 2024	Pentecost 2024	Whit Sunday, 19th May 2024 Whit Monday, 20th May 2024
Pinksteren 2025	Pentecost 2025	Whit Sunday, 8th June 2025 Whit Monday, 9th June 2025
Pinksteren 2026	Pentecost 2026	Whit Sunday, 24th May 2026 Whit Monday, 25th May 2026
Pinksteren 2027	Pentecost 2027	Whit Sunday, 16th May 2027 Whit Monday, 17th May 2027
Pinksteren 2028	Pentecost 2028	Whit Sunday, 4th June 2028 Whit Monday, 5th June 2028
Pinksteren 2029	Pentecost 2029	Whit Sunday, 20th May 2029 Whit Monday, 21st May 2029
Pinksteren 2030	Pentecost 2030	Whit Sunday, 9th June 2030 Whit Monday, 10th June 2030
Pinksteren 2031	Pentecost 2031	Whit Sunday, 1th June 2031 Whit Monday, 2nd June 2031