Ascension Day is a holiday celebrating Jesus’ ascension to heaven. This holiday is mostly celebrated in Catholic and Anglican churches across the world. Until recently, the holiday fell on the 6th Thursday after Easter Sunday, the traditional 40 days between the resurrection and ascension based on the biblical narratives. However, some Roman Catholic churches moved the celebration to the Sunday after Easter Sunday.
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 CE) claimed that the feast had apostolic origins. Christ’s apostles may have celebrated the holiday in commemoration of the day Jesus joined the Creator. Although the Bible does not confirm this belief, it does offer the account of Jesus’ ascension as witnessed by the apostle in Luke 24:49, Mark 16:19, and Acts 1:3,9. After Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples had the task of spreading his message to the world. Various texts in the scripture claim that Jesus will return again (Colossians 3:3; Acts 1:11). The scriptures state that “He was concealed from sight but will return again. These events reaffirmed the value of the Ascension day to the Church. Christ’s ascension celebrates the entrance of Christ into the Holy of Holies, where Jesus reigns as the High Priest and mediator for the people. These scriptural accounts reaffirmed the value of the holiday as the day when the head of the Christian church, Jesus, proceeded believers in the heavenly kingdom so that members of his body (the Church) may have hope to one day be reunited with Him.
The Ascension Day feast is one of the oldest holidays celebrated by the church. The holiday dates back to 68 AD. However, evidence of the Church celebrating the holiday began to appear in the 4th century.
St. Gregory of Nyssa gave a brief homily of the holiday. The Archbishop of Constantinople, John Chrysostom, also gave an account of the “great celebration.” The two bishops recognized Ascension as one of the oldest feasts in the church history. However, the Bible does not give an account of the exact place where the ascension took place. However, the accounts presented place the setting of the holiday in or near the village of Bethany, on Mount Olives. This location is in the East of Jerusalem, the Holy City. Although there is no church there marking the location, this visual representation helped reaffirm the account for resurrection.
To Christians, Ascension Day is not just a historical event, but a public event that was seen on Mount Olives. The forty-day period before the holiday is inspired by the account in the Gospels. The book of John, for example, speaks of Jesus’ meeting with His disciples and sharing a meal with them before His ascension. However, in the Book of Luke, the ascension seems to have taken place immediately after the resurrection. The authors of the Bible did not make efforts to clarify the exact date and place where the ascension took place. This difference influenced the adoption of the holiday in the church calendar. Some theologians believe that the account of Christ’s ascension implied complete subordination of the physical and spiritual realms to Christ. In Eastern Orthodox churches, the date of Easter is calculated using the Julian calendar, instead of the Gregorian calendar. As a result, they celebrate Ascension Day after the Western Church.
Presently, Ascension Day is a moveable feast dependent on the marking of Easter. Easter falls on the first Sunday after the full moon based on astronomical calculations that fall on or after March 21st. The holiday is liturgically expected to occur at the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. The church’s date for the Equinox is March 21st which is different from the actual Equinox that falls between March 19th to March 22nd. The occurrence of the Paschal full moon is determined by mathematical calculations that adhere to a 19-year Metonic cycle. The timing of these events influences the occurrence of Easter. Once Easter is determined, the date of Ascension is set to occur 40 days after. Below is a list of the various traditions observed in different regions of the world:
United States
In the U.S., the Feast of the Ascension is not a public holiday and businesses and public offices are open during this holiday. The holiday occurs 40 days after Easter, that is, 39 days after Easter Sunday. Some churches come together to combine prayer and Ascension Day services because according to most this holiday is a time for reflection, prayer, and hope. Some churches hold a “church crawl” where people travel from one church to another to experience different prayer events. Other churches host cathedral choirs that offer a solemn Eucharist written especially for this holiday. Some Lutheran churches hold a ceremony in which the Paschal candle is extinguished and removed after reading the gospel on Ascension Day.
Germany
In Germany, Ascension Day is observed along with Father’s Day or Men’s Day.
Sweden
In Sweden, people go out to the woods as early as 3:00 a.m. to hear the birds. This event is known as gök-otta or “rising at dawn in order to go out and listen to the birds sing.” If the sound originates from the east or west, then it means that the people will enjoy good tidings. However, if the sounds originate from the north or south, then bad things may happen. When the sun rises, the people may enjoy a picnic together where they will have breakfast and drink coffee before going home. The day also marks the unofficial opening of the fishing season. Tradition states that this is the day when fish have their first bite after a long winter.
England
In England, the holiday is celebrated in a variety of water festivals such as the “Penny Hedge” at Whitby and “Well Dressing” in Derbyshire. People walk around the church and civil boundaries, their farm, and manorial pausing at certain spots to occasionally pray or beat particular landmarks with sticks. There was also a tradition in which the parishioners would hold a procession with a banner bearing the symbol of a lion. A banner with the symbol of the dragon was at the rear. The banners symbolized Jesus’ defeat of the devil.
Mexico
In Mexico, special services are held in churches to commemorate the ascension of Jesus. It is a time for feasts and sharing meals with friends and family.
Luxembourg
In Luxembourg, the holiday typically occurs on a Thursday in May which allows people to enjoy a long weekend. It is common to see images of the “devil” being chased in the streets, dunked into a pond, or burning his effigy. These images are a representation of Jesus’ triumph over the devil and His ascension to heaven. Ten days after this holiday, Pentecost is celebrated which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples.
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