Bringing Pentecost Home: Joyful Ways to Celebrate with Your Family

Pentecost is a vibrant and deeply significant Catholic feast, and it’s a wonderful one to start celebrating more intentionally with your family. After all, it’s the birthday of the Church! If you’re looking for ways to make this day special, you’ve come to the right place.

The Story of Pentecost:

To truly appreciate the celebration, let’s revisit the incredible events of that first Pentecost:

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.
At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd,
but they were confused
because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
They were astounded, and in amazement they asked,
“Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?
Then how does each of us hear them in his native language?
We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites,
inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene,
as well as travelers from Rome,
both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs,
yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues
of the mighty acts of God.”

Acts 2: 1-11

Have you ever paused while reading Scripture and truly tried to imagine the scene unfolding? Sometimes, it’s easy to read the Bible as just stories meant for spiritual growth. But this powerful account from the Acts of the Apostles really happened. Imagine it: tongues that looked like fire appearing in the room, and the apostles suddenly speaking in languages they’d never learned!

I encourage you to reread the passage slowly with your family. Try to picture yourselves in that room. This type of Ignatian imaginative prayer can be incredibly powerful and transformative.

Since Pentecost is such a pivotal feast day for Catholics – the Church’s birthday! – celebrations are in store. Below, you’ll find a list of ideas you can implement with your family.

Prayer

Integrating prayer into your feast day festivities is key to remembering why we celebrate and helps focus our hearts and minds on the divine. Here are a few prayerful ideas:

• Attend Mass: This is the highest form of prayer and the perfect way to honor any feast day. (Pentecost always falls on a Sunday, so you’re obligated to attend mass, anyway.)
• Pray a Pentecost Novena: (Editor’s Note: Mark your calendars for next year!) The Pentecost Novena begins on the Friday after Ascension Thursday (9 days before Pentecost). This tradition mirrors the very first novena, prayed by the apostles at Jesus’ request as they awaited the Holy Spirit. In remembrance of this, we can pray a Pentecost novena with our family. There are many versions available online and in prayer books, all focusing on invoking the Holy Spirit and His gifts.
• Discuss the Gifts of the Holy Spirit: As Maria Von Trapp recommends in Around the Year with the Von Trapps, consider spending some time each evening during the novena (or in the week leading up to Pentecost) discussing one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord). It’s a fantastic way to deepen your family’s understanding of the faith.
• Pray Together: Recite a specific prayer to the Holy Spirit as a family. You can find many beautiful options online, like this one from the USCCB, or use a favorite from your family prayer book.
• Listen to Music: I love Holy Spirit by Jesus Culture. If someone in your family knows how to play an instrument, you can make a little performance! Set a Fire by Jesus Culture is another great option 😉

Red

The story of Pentecost is marked by the color red. It was a firey occasion. It’s also the color of the vestments priests wear on Pentecost.

• Wear red: Encourage everyone in the family to wear something red to Mass or throughout the day.
• Decorations: If you’re baking, use red icing or sprinkles. Pull out a red tablecloth or napkins. Put a red ribbon on your front door wreath, if you have one.
• Food: Incorporate red into the food you eat. Strawberries, raspberries, cherries, cranberries, apples, tomatoes and red peppers are all great options.

Fire

What better way to honor Pentecost than by gathering around a fire?

• Backyard Campfire: If weather and space permit, gather around a campfire. Roast hot dogs and marshmallows for a fun, family-friendly meal.
• Birthday Candles: Since it’s the Church’s birthday, light candles on a birthday cake!
• Home Altar: Light candles on your home altar and gather to pray a Rosary or a prayer to the Holy Spirit.
• Dinner by Candlelight: Make your evening meal special by eating by candlelight. Kids especially love this!

Food

Just like Christmas or Easter, Pentecost is a wonderful occasion for a special meal. You can go all out or keep it simple – the intention is what matters!

• Birthday Cake: We love to make a birthday cake for Pentecost, to celebrate the Church’s birthday. This ice cream cake is always a hit. Bonus points: it involves roasting marshmallows, aka fire.
• Red & White Theme: Focus on red and white foods for the day, to represent fire and the Holy Spirit.
• Creative Arrangements: Get creative and arrange cupcakes, cookies, fruit, or other small food items in the shape of a dove or flames.

Arts and Crafts

Engage your children’s creativity with some Pentecost-themed arts and crafts:

• Paper Doves: Make origami or paper doves with your kids and hang them up around your house.
• Coloring Pages: Print Holy Spirit or Pentecost-themed coloring pages. We love these free Holy Spirit printables from the Little Rose Shop and the Catholic Kid.
• DIY Candles: Roll your own beeswax candles or fancy floral ones.These can then be used on your home altar throughout the year.

Something Special

Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t be! The most important thing is to set the day apart in some small way to honor the coming of the Holy Spirit.

• Eat dinner outside or have a picnic.
• Enjoy a favorite family treat.
• Go out for brunch after Mass.
• Simply choose one activity that feels special and doable for your family.

Pentecost is a beautiful opportunity to grow in faith as a family and celebrate the incredible gift of the Holy Spirit.

How does your family celebrate Pentecost? Share your ideas in the comments below!