Scott,
   We are holding our Annual Tulip Festival here in Albany.  In addition to
the the "Kinder Kermis", an important part of it is the "Pinksterfest" ,
supposed named after the pinkster flower that bloomed at this time on the
hills around Albany.

                                J Travis

-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Monje [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, May 07, 2002 8:45 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Pinkster


Hello, everyone.

I have a "word history" question of sorts. On May 18 and 19, Historic Hudson
Valley will be holding its annual Pinkster festival at the Philipsburg Manor
restoration in Sleepy Hollow. Pinkster, as it evolved in the Hudson Valley,
was an amalgam of Dutch and African traditions celebrated each spring by
both settlers and slaves. There seem to be some minor differences, however,
over the history of the word itself. I have confirmed from a contemporary
dictionary, that the Dutch word for Pentecost is Pinksteren or
Pinksterfeest. Can anyone tell me whether that word would have been the
same, or how it might have been different, in the 17th or 18th century?
(Some believe that the word might have been Pfingsten, which strikes me as
clearly High German.)

Many thanks,
Scott Monje