Shavuot or Pentecost
Shavuot also known and celebrated by Jewish Worshippers as Pentecost
Which do you celebrate? Some 2,500 years before Jesus, give or take a few years, Moses with God’s guidance, brings God’s people Israel to Mount Sinai. While the Hebrews were encamped there, Moses climbs Mount Sinai and receives granite tablets hewed from rock, containing God’s Ten Commandments, etched in the tablets.
When Moses descends the mountain, he presents these stone tablets to the Hebrew people as God’s Laws, also known as the Torah. Shavuot, is a Jewish one day celebration commemorating this day in Hebrew history and is usually celebrated near the end of May.
Pentecost
Pentecost is a Greek translation of the Jewish celebration of Shavuot. Pentecost though is celebrated by Christianity as the day that the Apostles of Jesus received the “Gifts of the Holy Spirit” which included the gift of speaking in tongues. (ACTS: 2: 1-4)
Christianity adopts Shavuot, as a day of celebration, naming it Pentecost in commemoration of the day the Apostles receive the Holy Spirit. According to Christian / Catholic belief, the receiving of the Holy Spirit’s gifts comes (50 days) after the witnessing of Jesus resurrection, thus the name Pentecost, Pente meaning fifty.
As we can see, both Shavuot, and Pentecost are days of celebration, celebrating special gifts given mankind from Almighty God. It is sort of like celebrating one’s birthday, regardless of whether you are Jew, or, Christian.