A solemn festival of the Christian church, observed on the fiftieth day after Easter, in memory of the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the apostles in the visible appearance of fiery cloven tongues, and of those miraculous powers which were then conferred upon them. It is called Whitsunday or White-Sunday, because this one of that stated times for baptism in the ancient church, those who were baptised put on white garments, as types of that spiritual purity they received in baptism. As the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the apostles happened on that day which the Jews called Pentecost, this festival retained the name of Pentecost among the Christians.
Despite a stated reliance on the plain meaning of the Bible and the dictates of common sense, Buck's Theological Dictionary, first published in London in 1802, seeks to provide a textual basis for the evangelical community. By combining brief essays on orthodox belief and practice with historical entries on various denominations, Buck provided an interpretive lens that allowed antebellum Protestants to see Christianity's almost two millennia as their own history.Wikipedia
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