Whitsun Tuesday

9.9

The Tuesday after Whit Monday, two days after Pentecost in the Christian calendar

noun
/ˈwɪtsən ˈtjuːzdeɪ/

: Martes de Pentecostés

In some rural communities, Whitsun Tuesday was marked by special church services and local festivals.

Examples

She read about the customs that once took place on Whitsun Tuesday in Victorian England.
Is Whitsun Tuesday a public holiday in your country?
The tradition of processions on Whitsun Tuesday has faded in most regions.
Many people celebrate Whitsun Tuesday with family gatherings.
In some rural communities, Whitsun Tuesday was marked by special church services and local festivals.
She read about the customs that once took place on Whitsun Tuesday in Victorian England.
Many people celebrate Whitsun Tuesday with family gatherings.

Synonyms

Whit-Tuesday

vsWhitsun Tuesday

Literature

9.9

The Tuesday after Whitmonday that some Christians observe

is the same day but named in another form without the hyphen

Surface Forms

Whitsun Tuesday singular

Morphology

Whitsun + Tuesday

The compound simply combines the festival name 'Whitsun' (Pentecost/Whitsun period) with the weekday 'Tuesday', so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes the Tuesday within the Whitsun/Pentecost period (effectively the day after Whit Monday). This holiday+weekday composition is literal and follows standard naming patterns across languages, not an idiomatic or metaphorical use.

Etymology

Whitsun Tuesday comes from Whitsun, an old name for the church holiday of Pentecost when people held special services and local fairs. It is the Tuesday after that celebration, so today the name simply means 'the day after Whit Monday'.