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Glite Dictionary
Whitsun Monday

Whitsun Monday

9.3
The day after Whitsunday that used to be a public holiday in England, Wales, and Ireland
  • noun
  • /ˈwɪtsən ˈmʌndeɪ/
  • Archaic
translation icon : Lunes de Pentecostés
  • In the UK, Whitsun Monday was once an official public holiday before being replaced by the Spring Bank Holiday.

Examples

  • Schools used to close for Whitsun Monday, giving families time to celebrate together.

  • Many people attended special church services on Whitsun Monday in previous centuries.

  • Many families celebrate Whitsun Monday with picnics.

  • Is Whitsun Monday a public holiday in your area?

  • In the UK, Whitsun Monday was once an official public holiday observed by many families.

  • Many people attended special church services on Whitsun Monday to mark the Pentecost celebration.

  • Schools traditionally closed for Whitsun Monday, allowing families to enjoy a day of togetherness.

Synonyms

Whitmonday
vsWhitsun Monday
  • Archaic
9.9

A public holiday the day after Whitsunday in England, Wales, and Ireland

is the same day but is no longer observed as a legal holiday

Surface Forms

Whitsun Monday singular
Whitsun Mondays plural

Morphology

Whitsun + Monday

The meaning is directly compositional: 'Whitsun' (the Pentecost/Whitsunday festival) combined with 'Monday' denotes the Monday associated with that festival (i.e., the day after Whitsunday). This naming pattern for holidays is cross-linguistically common and requires no idiomatic knowledge, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Whitsun Monday comes from Whitsun, which is short for Whitsunday, a Christian festival when new church members often wore white clothes after baptism. Because people went to special church services and then had the next day off, Whitsun Monday became the name for the 'holiday after Whitsunday'.