The traditional name of Pentecost in England is “Whitsunday”, often shortened to “Whitsun”, which is a reference to the ancient practice of baptizing adults at Pentecost and to the white garments that the newly baptized would wear. The importance of the Feast was emphasized by the fact that the next day, called Whit Monday, was a public holiday right up to 1971 when the moveable holiday based on the Christian calendar was replaced by a fixed public holiday on the last Monday of May, something like our Memorial Day.
 
It was also a day for Christians of all denominations to witness to their faith, in imitation of the apostles who went out to preach after receiving the Holy Spirit. The tradition was particularly strong in the industrial North West of England where workers would use their day off from the cotton mills and coal mines to process through the streets of their towns behind the banners of their Anglican, Methodist, Baptist or Congregational churches. Choirs and brass bands would provide music. It was a particular honor for the best of the Sunday school (catechism) students to join the procession, and the girls would be given a new dress and the boys new trousers for the occasion; in fact in those poor working families it would often be the only time in the year when children would get new clothes.
 
The custom was at its strongest through the first 50 years of the twentieth century, and in the earliest years Catholics were excluded. The “Whit walks” were very much a witness to the strength of Protestantism in England. However, some families in the North West had always remained Catholic and Irish immigrants came in to work in the industries, so in big cities like Manchester the Catholics organized their own processions of witness on the Friday of Whit week. Here is an account from a local Catholic historian, Paul Malpas, recalling the 1950’s:
 
“I have great recollection of the Whit Friday Walks, it was the highlight of the Catholic year, this was the biggest expression of faith our beleaguered religion allowed us. We, the Catholics, had Whit Friday, whilst the Protestants who had been celebrating this feast longer, had Whit Monday. All the parishioners involved would congregate at their parish churches early in the morning of Whit Friday and walk in procession to Albert Square (in the center of Manchester). The excitement as the hour approached, with the noise of the various bands warming up, was something else.  Each parish always had one band, some had two.  There were brass bands, pipe bands from the Irish parishes, fife and drum bands, all guaranteed to make you stand proud.  The bishop set off first with the high ranking clergy of the diocese, wearing top hats, bowlers and sashes. The Bishop’s party set the pace for all the parishes with the vibrant hymn Faith of our Fathers being bellowed out by everyone; last out was St. Michael’s with its large contingent of Italians and 20 or 30 men carrying a massive statue of the Madonna on a large dais surrounded by thousands of lilies”.
 
Such customs have almost died out these days and I know that the 1950’s must seem like ancient history to the young people of our congregation. Yet the message of Pentecost does not change: we have the Holy Spirit within us to give us courage, to make us all living witnesses to our faith in Jesus Christ.