The Greek name for the "Feast of Weeks" in the Jewish
Church. The word means _fiftieth_, the Feast being fifty days after
the Feast of the Passover. Whitsun Day is so called, being observed
fifty days after Easter, the Christian Passover, and because it
was on the Day of Pentecost that the Holy Ghost was given. (See
WHITSUN DAY.)

Peter, festival of Saint.--A Holy Day of the Church observed on
June 29th in honor of the Apostle Saint Peter, and is one of the
oldest of Christian Festivals, having been traced back to the Second
Century. St. Peter was one of the first two disciples {212} whom our
Lord called. His original name was Simon or Simeon, which was changed
into Cephas, which in the Syrian language, signifies a _stone_ or
_rock_; from this it was derived into the Greek _Petros_, and so
termed by us Peter. This new name was to denote the firmness and
constancy which St. Peter should manifest in preaching the Gospel
and in establishing the Church. He has left two Epistles which
appear in the New Testament as the "First and Second Epistles
General of St. Peter." It is said that his later years were spent
at Rome where he was crucified with his head downwards, on the hill
where the Vatican now stands, on the same day, June 29th (as is
generally believed) that St. Paul was beheaded A.D. 63. In
ecclesiastical art St. Peter is variously represented, with a key
in his hand; with a key and church; with keys and cross; in chains
and in prison, etc.

Philip (St.) and St. James' Day.--A Festival observed on May 1st in
memory of two Apostles of our Lord, St. Philip and St. James. The
reason for coupling together the names of these two Apostles is not
quite clear, but it may be taken as an illustration of the manner in
which our Lord sent forth His Apostles, two and two. St. Philip was
a native of Bethsaida, a town bordering on the Sea of Tiberias and
was one of the first of our Lord's disciples and was His constant
companion and follower. He brought Nathanael, a person of great note
and eminence, to the knowledge of the Messiah; and it was to St.
Philip that certain Greeks went with the request, "Sir, we would
see Jesus." St. Philip is said to have carried the Gospel to
Northern Asia, where by his {213} preaching and miracles he made
many converts; his name has also been connected with the Church in
Russia. He suffered martyrdom at Hieropolis, a city of Phrygia,
where he was crucified and stoned on the cross. In ecclesiastica