Whit-Monday


Whit-Monday (Whitmonday)

Between May 11 and June 14; Monday after PentecostThe day after Whitsunday ( Pentecost) is known as Whit-Monday, and in Great Britain it is also the Late May Bank Holiday ( see Bank Holiday). The week that includes these two holidays, beginning on Whitsunday and ending the following Saturday, is called Whitsuntide.
Until fairly recently, Whit-Monday was one of the major holidays of the year in Pennsylvania Dutch country. In the period from 1835 to just after the Civil War, Whit-Monday was referred to as the " Dutch Fourth of July " in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where rural people came to eat, drink, and be entertained. In Lenhartsville, another Pennsylvania Dutch town, Whit-Monday was known as Battalion Day, and it was characterized by music, dancing, and military musters. So much carousing went on that one Pennsylvania newspaper suggested that the name "Whitsuntide" be changed to "Whiskeytide."
See also Walking Days
SOURCES:
BkDays-1864, vol. I, p. 643
BkFest-1937, p. 98
BkFestHolWrld-1970, p. 65
DictDays-1988, p. 131
FestWestEur-1958, pp. 12, 26
OxYear-1999, p. 632