The first is Palm Sunday, which commemorates Jesus' humble entry (on a donkey) into Jerusalem to observe Passover. Easter Sunday is the celebration of Jesus' Resurrection, according to the Gospels, on the third day after his crucifixion.
Palm Sunday commemorates the entrance of Christ into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1–9), when palm branches were placed in his path, before his arrest on Holy Thursday and his crucifixion on Good Friday. It thus marks the beginning of Holy Week, the final week of Lent.
| Holy Wednesday |
|---|
| Type | Christian |
| Significance | commemorates the Bargain of Judas and the Parable of the Two Debtors |
| Observances | Mass; Tenebrae |
| Date | Wednesday before Easter |
Scholars speculate that after two exhausting days in Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples spent this day resting in Bethany in anticipation of Passover. Just a short time previously, Jesus had revealed to the disciples, and the world, that he had power over death by raising Lazarus from the grave.
Holy Week in Western Christianity
- Palm Sunday (Sixth Sunday of Lent)
- Holy Monday and Holy Tuesday.
- Holy Wednesday (Spy Wednesday)
- Maundy Thursday.
- Good Friday.
- Holy Saturday (Black Saturday)
- Easter Vigil.
- Easter Day.
Holy Thursday is the commemoration of the Last Supper of Jesus Christ, when he established the sacrament of Holy Communion prior to his arrest and crucifixion. It also commemorates His institution of the priesthood. Jesus celebrated the dinner as a Passover feast.
1 : a ceremony of washing the feet of the poor on Maundy Thursday. 2a : alms distributed in connection with the maundy ceremony or on Maundy Thursday.
Each of the seven days of the Holy Week leading up to Easter Sunday represent the various events that took place 2,000 years ago leading to the arrest, crucifixion and entombment of Jesus Christ and his resurrection. This day commemorates the arrival of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem.
The week before Easter, known as Holy Week, is very special in the Christian tradition. The Sunday before Easter is Palm Sunday, with the Wednesday before Easter being known as Spy Wednesday. The last three days before Easter are Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday (sometimes referred to as Silent Saturday).
The word Maundy comes from the latin, 'mandatum', or 'command' which refers to the instructions Jesus gave his disciples at the Last Supper. In many countries the day is known as Holy Thursday and is a public holiday. Maundy Thursday is part of Holy Week and is always the last Thursday before Easter.
Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, which Christians consider the institution of Holy Eucharist, also known as the Lord's supper or communion. It is described in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 22.
Where does Passion Week come from? The first records of the term Passion Week come from the 1300s. In this context, the word Passion is used to refer to the period of trials and suffering that Jesus experienced before his death, or the biblical account of these events.
Holy Tuesday, Fig Tuesday, or Great and Holy Tuesday (Ancient Greek: Μεγάλη ΤÏίτη, Megali Triti) (lit. 'Great Third (Day)', i.e., Great Tuesday), is a day of Holy Week, which precedes Easter.
The dates for when is Holy Week align with these stories and Jewish Passover, and it's through these stories that scholars have determined the Holy Week timeline and the four main events: Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.
Christians remember it as the day of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and established the ceremony known as the Eucharist. The night of Maundy Thursday is the night on which Jesus was betrayed by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane. In many other countries this day is known as Holy Thursday.
The Second Sunday of Easter is the day that occurs seven days after the Christian celebration of Easter. Those churches which give special significance to this day recognize it by various names. In the Roman Catholic Church, this day is generally known as Divine Mercy Sunday.
The three pillars of Lent—prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—are expressions of the fundamental purpose of Lent, which is a turning to God and a conversion of heart.
This 40-day “Great Lent†includes Saturdays and Sundays as relaxed fast days. A period of preparation and fasting likely has been observed before the Easter festival since apostolic times, though the practice was not formalized until the First Council of Nicaea in 325 ce.
Laetare Sunday (/liËˈtÉ›Ëri/ or /lʌɪˈtÉ‘Ëri/) is the fourth Sunday in the season of Lent, in the Western Christian liturgical calendar.
| Laetare Sunday |
|---|
| Date | Fourth Sunday of Lent (21 days before Easter Sunday) |
| 2020 date | March 22 |
| 2021 date | March 14 |
| 2022 date | March 27 |
Maundy Thursday, also called Holy Thursday or Sheer Thursday, the Thursday before Easter, observed in commemoration of Jesus Christ's institution of the Eucharist during the Last Supper.
The pope is the Bishop of Rome, based in the Vatican City, and head of the Roman Catholic Church. Pope comes from the Latin for 'father' (the traditional title for a bishop). The adjective for something relating to the Pope is papal.
Holy Saturday commemorates the day that Jesus Christ lay in the tomb after his death, according to the Christian bible. It is the day after Good Friday and the day before Easter Sunday. Holy Saturday commemorates the day that Jesus (sculpture of him pictured above) lay in his tomb after he died.
Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and most mainline Protestant churches teach that Jesus descended to the realm of the dead on Holy Saturday to save righteous souls, such as the Hebrew patriarchs, who died before his crucifixion.
How do people commemorate Holy Saturday? During the day, families prepare for Easter day celebrations. For example, families with a Polish heritage fill a basket containing eggs, ham, bread, sweet breads, horseradish, and lamb cakes or butter lambs. They're brought to church to be blessed on Holy Saturday.
During Holy Week, purple is used until the church is stripped bare on Maundy Thursday; the church remains stripped bare on Good Friday and Holy Saturday, though in some places black might be used on those days.
Can you eat meat on Holy Saturday? In the early days of the Church, Holy Saturday was the only Saturday when fasting was permitted. Today, however, there is no requirement for fasting but Christians might still choose to limit their meals or not eat meat.
Lent traditionally ends during “Holy Week,†on “Holy Saturday.†This means that Lent 2021 will end on Saturday, April 3, 2021 (establishing the 40 days of observation.) However, since 1969, Catholics now stop observing Lent on “Maundy Thursday†or “Holy Thursday,†two days prior.
According to Paenitemini, the 1983 Code of Canon Law and the Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium, on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and where possible, throughout Holy Saturday, both abstinence and fasting are required of Catholics who are not exempted for various reasons.
Is there Mass on Holy Saturday? Once a popular day for baptism ceremonies, Holy Saturday is not considered a day for Mass until after sundown. These Masses and related observances are part of the Easter Vigil and continue through sunrise, as Christians await the resurrection.
Silent Saturday is a throwback to the old schoolyard days when kids would congregate after school and on weekends just to play all day, without regard to who was winning and repercussions for poor play and decision-making.
