What is "pinkster"

Pinkster \Pink"ster\, n. [D. pinkster, pinksteren, fr. Gr. ?. See Pentecost.] Whitsuntide. [Written also pingster and pinxter.]

Pinkster flower (Bot.), the rosy flower of the Azalea nudiflora; also, the shrub itself; -- called also Pinxter blomachee by the New York descendants of the Dutch settlers.

Pinkster is a spring festival, taking place in late May or early June. The name is a variation of the Dutch word Pinksteren, meaning " Pentecost". Pinkster in English almost always refers to the festivals held by African Americans (both free and slave) in the Northeastern United States, particularly in the early 19th century. To the Dutch, Pinkster was a religious holiday, a chance to rest, gather and celebrate religious services like baptisms and confirmations. For their African slaves, Pinkster was a time free from work and a chance to gather and catch up with family and friends.

Pentecost is a Christian feast falling on the seventh Sunday after Easter, in remembrance of the descent of the Holy Spirit, in the guise of flames, upon the apostles at the "Feast of the Harvest" ( Ex. 23:16), also known as Whitsunday, enabling the apostles to spread the news of Christ in all languages, ( glossolalia or the "gift of tongues") ( Acts 2).

Pinksteren was also a celebration of the change of the seasons and of spring renewal.