Most people in Belgium are enjoying yet another long weekend, thanks to Sunday's religious holiday. But what is Whit Monday, and why do (most) people have a day off work today?
Whit Monday, also known as Pentecost Monday, is the holiday held the day after Pentecost, a religious holiday of the Christian faith celebrated by devotees across the globe. It is marked by a public bank holiday in several countries including Belgium.
The holiday falls the day after Pentecost Sunday, which commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles after the death of Jesus, leading to the first sermon and the birth of the Christian Church. The two days of Pentecost change each year, as Pentecost Sunday is the 50th day after Easter Sunday.
In Western Christian tradition, the period of Pentecost is marked by the colour red, and priests, pastors and other church officials don robes and decorate church altars with the colour. The red symbolises the "tongues of fire" that descended on the disciples from the Holy Spirit in the Bible. "It is during the Pentecost holidays that the Apostles, and all Christians thereafter, will reap the fruits of Easter," the Catholic Church of Belgium notes.
How does Belgium celebrate?
Many Christians of the Catholic, Protestant and Lutheran faiths celebrated Whit Sunday by attending special services at their churches. On this day, sermons typically focus on the theme of the Holy Spirit and often include a baptism ceremony.
Near Charleroi, Whit Monday usually sees a large procession march through the town of Gerpinnes in a centuries-old tradition to mark the public holiday.
Every year on Whit Monday, the 'Tour Sainte-Rolende' procession takes place in the Walloon town of Gerpinnes near Charleroi. The centuries-old tradition – which was already considered an ancient custom in 1413 – always attracts huge crowds of curious onlookers and pilgrims alike. Dressed in Napoleonic costumes, devotees gather in the central church after a mass at 03:00 and then walk nearly 40 km around town in honour of Sainte Rolende de Gerpinnes, returning at around 19:00.
What's open today?
As Whit Monday is a bank holiday in Belgium, most public services, shops and offices will be closed during the day.
Bank branches will remain shut. However, "banks remain digitally available any time of the day. Digital payment services still work, so you can always do online and mobile banking and pay with your card," according to the Belgian Federation of the Financial Sector (Febelfin).
Most services and government offices, as well as municipal administration buildings, will also be closed, as will most Bpost branches. Post will not be delivered until Tuesday but some postal points within local convenience stores may still be accessible on Monday.
Most doctors will also not be working on Monday. Those in need of medical care can receive help from an on-call doctor. When your regular doctor is not working, you should call the number 1733, the number for non-urgent medical help linked to local on-call services. Hospitals will remain open.
The majority of pharmacies will be closed but at least one pharmacy in the local area will be open and on duty. The nearest on-duty pharmacy can be found here.
Illustration picture shows the Anderlecht branch of hypermarket chain Cora, in Brussels, on Tuesday 08 April 2025. Credit: Belga / Hatim Kaghat
Most shopping centres and retail shops as well as a vast majority of supermarkets across the country – Aldi, Lidl, Cora, Makro, Okay, and Colruyt – are closed today.
Only grocery stores that ordinarily remain open on Sundays and public holidays are likely to be open, including local Carrefour and Delhaize stores, as well as a limited number of Intermarché and Spar shops. They will follow their Sunday opening hours. It is worth checking online to see whether your local shop is open or not.
Many bars, restaurants and cafés will likely be open, but again, it is advised to check online or via social media whether businesses are open.
Rubbish collection operates as usual on public holidays, according to regional agency Brussels Cleanliness.
Credit: Belga
What about public transport?
Public transport will also be impacted over the public holiday. Brussels public transport operator STIB/MIVB will run on the traditional Sunday timetable.
SNCB/NMBS trains across Belgium will also operate on the weekend timetable. As it is an extended weekend, SNCB/NMBS' Weekend ticket option – which gives passengers up to 50% discount for travel from Friday evening until Sunday – will be valid until Monday. Find more information on the SNCB/NMBS website.
De Lijn in Flanders and TEC in Wallonia will also operate on the Sunday timetable. From Tuesday, the normal timetable will apply again for all companies.
