Ascension Day is a Christian observance which commemorates Jesus ascending to heaven after his resurrection in the Easter story.
Like Easter, the date of Ascension Day moves every year. It is followed by Pentecost – marking the arrival of the Holy Spirit to the disciples – 10 days later.
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When is Ascension Day 2023?
Ascension Day is always marked on the sixth Thursday – or 39 days – after Easter Sunday, and is sometimes known as “Holy Thursday”.
This year, that means it falls on Thursday 18 May. It can be on any date between 30 April and 3 June by the Western Christian calendar.
What is Ascension Day?
According to the biblical story, after appearing for 40 days, the risen Jesus led his disciples to the Mount of Olive in Jerusalem, telling them that the time had come for him to be returned to God.
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A passage in the Acts of the Apostles recounts the tale: “Then they gathered around him and asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’
“He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’
“After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.”
It is thought that Ascension Day was being marked as early as the fourth century, and it remains a significant observance in the Catholic Church.
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In countries where it is not marked as a public holiday, it has become common to move its commemoration to the following Sunday (a week before Pentecost) to allow more worshippers to attend mass.
What is Pentecost?
Pentecost always falls exactly seven weeks after Easter Sunday, which means this year it is on Sunday 28 May.
The festival commemorates the arrival of the Holy Spirit to the disciples following the death of Jesus in the traditional Easter story.
Its name comes from the Greek word “Pentekostos”, meaning 50, which reflects its origins in the Jewish holiday of Shavuot (marked on the 50th day after Passover).
Pentecost is also known as “Whitsun” or “Whitsunday” in the UK and Ireland, which is variously believed to be a shortening of “White Sunday” or to have its origins in the Anglo-Saxon word “wit”, which means “understanding”.
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