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Germany Debates Removal of Pentecost Holiday as Church Membership Falls

Calls to scrap the holiday have grown after surveys revealed that most Germans cannot explain Pentecost’s religious meaning.

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Overview

  • Pentecost marks the descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus’ disciples 50 days after Easter and is celebrated as the Church’s birthday.
  • A YouGov poll finds nearly 60% of Germans have little or no understanding of Pentecost, with 32% of 18- to 24-year-olds unable to describe the festival.
  • Analysts estimate that church holidays cost the German economy billions in lost workdays, fueling proposals to eliminate Pentecost from the public holiday roster.
  • Both the Protestant EKD and the Catholic Church in Germany are experiencing steep membership declines and face criticism for straying from their core spiritual missions.
  • Theological experts emphasize that the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and the Trinity remains central to Christian belief yet widely perceived as complex.