This Sunday (May 19) is Whitsunday or Pentecost—which falls on the seventh Sunday after Easter. For Christians, this became the traditional time for baptisms. Whit, a corruption of white, refers to the white baptismal garments worn on this day.
This is also a time of spring festivals throughout Europe, with echoes of pagan spring rites such as Morris dancing and dressing a young boy in greenery (Jack-in-the-Green) and marching him through the village. Festivities often continue throughout the week (known as Whitsuntide), and in many places, Whitmonday is a public holiday.
Sunday the 19th is also St. Dunstan Day. Traditional weather lore has it that St. Dunstan was a great brewer who sold himself to the devil on the condition that the devil would blight the apple trees to stop the production of cider, Dunstan’s rival drink. This is said to be the cause of the wintry blast that usually comes at about this time.
Calendar for May 19, 2013 -- published online
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Four adult women joined St. John's UCC (Niles, Michigan) today -- by Affirmation of their faith from baptism previously
Names of all will be published as of June 1 "The Net" Newsletter
www.stjohnsniles.com/
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