Christians believe that Jesus rested in death from the ninth hour (3 pm) on Good Friday until just before dawn on Sunday morning, the day ofhis resurrection from death, known as Easter Sunday. However, in1 Peter 3:19, there may be a clue as to a task Jesus performed during this period between death and resurrection: "By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison." This marks the beginning of the season ofEastertide, with its first week being known asEaster Week (orBright Week).
A Confraternity in Procession along Calle Génova, Seville byAlfred Dehodencq (1851)
Holy Week in theliturgical year is the week immediately before Easter. The earliest allusion to the custom of marking this week as a whole with special observances is to be found in theApostolical Constitutions (v. 18, 19), dating from the latter half of the 3rd century and 4th century. In this text, abstinence from flesh is commanded for all the days, while for the Friday and Saturday anabsolute fast is commanded. Dionysius Alexandrinus in his canonical epistle (AD 260), refers to the 91 fasting days implying that the observance of them had already become an established usage in his time.[10]
There is some doubt about the genuineness of an ordinance attributed to Roman EmperorConstantine, in which abstinence from public business was enforced for the seven days immediately preceding Easter Day, and also for the seven which followed it. TheCodex Theodosianus, however, is explicit in ordering that all actions at law should cease, and the doors of all courts of law be closed during those 15 days (1. ii. tit. viii.).[citation needed]
Of the particular days of the "great week" the earliest to emerge into special prominence was naturally Good Friday. Next came theSabbatum Magnum ("Great Sabbath", i.e.,Holy Saturday or Easter Eve) with itsvigil, which in theearly church was associated with an expectation that thesecond advent would occur on an Easter Day.[citation needed]
Other writings that refer to related traditions of the early Church include, most notably,The Pilgrimage of Etheria (also known asThe Pilgrimage ofEgeria), which details the whole observance of Holy Week at that time.[11]
Today, in theWestern Christian Church, among Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists, Presbyterians and Catholics, the liturgies used for Holy Week are nearly identical.[12] In the Episcopal Church, the main U.S. branch of the Anglican Communion, the 1979 Book of Common Prayer identifies Holy Week--comprising Palm Sunday (Sunday of the Passion) through Holy Saturday--as a separate season after Lent,[13] rather than as part of it; but the weekdays of Holy Week, like those of Lent, are Days of Special Devotion to be observed by special acts of discipline and self-denial,[14] so the practical effect is the same as if Holy Week were considered part of Lent.
In theMoravian Church, the Holy Week services (Passion Week) are extensive, as the congregation follows the life of Christ through His final week in daily services dedicated to readings from a harmony of the Gospel stories, responding to the actions in hymns, prayers and litanies, beginning on the eve of Palm Sunday and culminating in the Easter Morning or EasterSunrise service begun by the Moravians in 1732.[15][16]
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, complete: Palm and Passion Sunday (LatinDominica in Palmis de Passione Domini). Traditionally, Palm Sunday commemorates theTriumphal entry into Jerusalem described in all fourcanonical gospels. As described in these accounts, Christ's entry into Jerusalem was noted by the crowds present who shouted praises and wavedpalm branches. In the Roman Rite, before 1955 it was known simply as Palm Sunday, and the preceding Sunday as Passion Sunday. From 1955 to 1971 it was called Second Sunday inPassiontide or Palm Sunday. Among Lutherans and Anglicans, the day is known as the Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday.[17]
In many liturgical denominations, to commemorate Christ's entry intoJerusalem to accomplish hispaschal mystery, it is customary to have a blessing ofpalm leaves or other branches, for example olive branches. The blessing ceremony includes the reading of a Gospel account of Jesus humbly riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, reminiscent of a Davidic victory procession, and people placing palm and other branches on the ground before him.
Immediately following this great time of celebration over the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, he begins his journey to the cross. The blessing is thus followed by a procession or solemn entrance into the church, with the participants holding the blessed branches in their hands. The liturgy includes the solemn reading of the Passion, the narrative of Christ's capture, suffering and death, as recounted in one of theSynoptic Gospels. (In theTridentine Mass the Passion is always that of St. Matthew.)[18]
Holy Week and other named days and day ranges around Lent and Easter in Western Christianity, with the fasting days of Lent numbered
Before the reform of the rite byPope Pius XII, the blessing of the palms occurred inside the church within a liturgy that followed the general outline of a Mass, with Collect, Epistle and Gospel, as far as the Sanctus. The palms were then blessed with five prayers, and a procession went out of the church and on its return included a ceremony for the reopening of the doors, which had meanwhile been shut. After this the normal Mass was celebrated.[19]
Churches of manydenominations, including the Lutheran, Catholic, Methodist, Anglican, Moravian and Reformed traditions, distribute palm branches to their congregations during their Palm Sunday liturgies. Christians take these palms, which are often blessed by clergy, to their homes where they hang them alongsideChristian art (especiallycrosses andcrucifixes) or keep them in their Bibles or devotionals.[20]
The days between Palm Sunday and Maundy Thursday are known asHoly Monday,Holy Tuesday (Fig Tuesday), andHoly Wednesday (Spy Wednesday). There are traditional observances held by liturgical denominations to commemorate events from the last days of Jesus Christ's life. Among them:
On Holy Tuesday, some observe Christ's predictions of his own death, as described inJohn 12:20–36 andJohn 13:21–38. (In the Tridentine Mass the Passion according to St. Mark is read instead.)
On Holy Wednesday,[21] the story of Judas arranging his betrayal of Jesus with the chief priests is remembered; he was a spy among the disciples of Jesus (Matthew 26:14–25).[22] For this reason, the day is sometimes called "Spy Wednesday".[1] (In the Tridentine Mass the Passion according to St. Luke is read instead.) Other events connected with this date include events at the house ofSimon the Leper, especially theanointing of Jesus byMary of Bethany, which directly preceded the betrayal of Jesus by Judas to the Sanhedrin.[23]
Maundy Thursday ceremony in aChurch in Wales parish church during a Maundy Thursdayservice of worshipAWashing of Feet ceremony onHoly Thursday in the Armenian Orthodox churchOn Maundy Thursday, the altar of this Methodist church wasstripped and the crucifix was veiled in black for Good Friday. A wooden cross sits in front of the bare chancel for the veneration of the cross ceremony.
Maundy Thursday (also known as Holy Thursday) commemorates theLast Supper, where Christ lays out the model for theEucharist or Holy Communion. During the meal, Jesus predicted the events that would immediately follow, including his betrayal, theDenial of Peter, and his death and resurrection. The liturgical celebration of the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday marks the beginning of thePaschal Triduum. Catholic and Lutheran parishes traditionally practice thefoot washing (Maundy) ceremony onMaundy Thursday, a practice also kept in other denominations.[27]
In the Catholic Church, on this day the private celebration ofMass is forbidden.[28] Thus, apart from theChrism Mass for the blessing of the Holy Oils that the diocesan bishop may celebrate on the morning ofHoly Thursday, but also on some other day close to Easter, the only Mass on this day is the eveningMass of the Lord's Supper, which inaugurates the period of three days known as theEaster Triduum, that includesGood Friday (seen as beginning with the liturgy of the preceding evening),Holy Saturday andEaster Sunday up toevening prayer on that day.[29] The Chrism Mass, whose texts theRoman Missal and the rubrics used inLutheran Churches now give under Maundy Thursday, but before thePaschal Triduum which begins that evening, may be brought forward early in Holy Week, to facilitate participation by as many clergy of the diocese as possible together with the bishop.[30] This Mass was not included in editions of the Roman Missal before the time of Pope Pius XII. In this Mass, the bishop blesses separate oils for the sick (used inAnointing of the Sick), forcatechumens (used inbaptism) andchrism (used in baptism,confirmation and theHoly Orders, as well as in rites such as thededication of an altar and a church).[31]
The Mass of the Lord's Supper commemorates theLast Supper of Jesus with hisTwelve Apostles, "the institution of theEucharist, the institution of thepriesthood, and thecommandment of brotherly love that Jesus gave after washing the feet of his disciples."[32] All thebells of the church, including altar bells, may be rung during theGloria in Excelsis Deo of the Mass (the Gloria is not traditionally sung on Sundays in Lent). The bells then fall silent and the organ and other musical instruments may be used only to support the singing until the Gloria at theEaster Vigil.[33][27] The Roman Missal recommends that, if considered pastorally appropriate, the priest should, immediately after the homily, celebrate the rite ofwashing the feet of customarily twelve men, recalling the number of the apostles.[34]
In the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches of Evangelical Catholic churchmanship, and in Anglican churches of an Anglo-Catholic churchmanship, a sufficient number ofhosts are consecrated for use also in the Good Friday liturgy, and at the conclusion the Blessed Sacrament is carried in procession to a place of reposition away from the main body of the church, which, if it involves an altar, is often called an "altar of repose".[35][27] In some places, notably the Philippines and Malta, Catholics will travel from church to church praying at each church's altar of repose in a practice called "Visita Iglesia" orSeven Churches Visitation.
In Lutheran, Anglican and Methodist churches, the altar has black paraments or the altar cloths are removed altogether.[36][37] At the conclusion of the Maundy Thursday liturgy in Lutheran Churches, the "lectern and pulpit are [also] left bare until Easter to symbolize the humiliation and barrenness of the cross."[38] Methodist custom holds that apart from depictions of theStations of the Cross, other images (such as the altar cross) continue the Lenten habitude of being veiled.[39] In the Catholic Church, the altars of the church (except the one used as the altar of repose) are later stripped quite bare and, as much as possible, crosses are removed from the church (or veiled in the pre-Vatican II rite), crucifixes and statues are covered with violet covers during Passiontide, but the crucifix covers can be white instead of violet on Maundy Thursday).[40]
Good Friday commemorates thecrucifixion of Jesus and his subsequent death. Commemorations of often solemn and mournful, many denominations use Good Friday to perform theStations of the Cross, or other commemorations of the Passion, either as a self-guided time of reflection and veneration or as a procession of statues or images of the stations.[citation needed]
The evening liturgical celebration on Holy Thursday begins the first of three days in the Easter Triduum, which continues in an atmosphere of liturgical mourning throughout the next day, in spite of the name "Good" given in English to the day.[citation needed]
For Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Reformed and Anglican Christians, Good Friday is widely observed as afast day.[41]A Handbook for the Discipline of Lent recommends the Lutheran guideline to "fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday with only one simple meal during the day, usually without meat".[42] Western Catholic Church practice is to have only one full meal with, if needed, two small snacks that together do not make a full meal. The Anglican Communion defines fasting more generically as: "The amount of food eaten is reduced."[43]
In some countries, such as Malta, Philippines, Italy, and Spain processions with statues representing the Passion of Christ are held.
The church mourns for Christ's death, reveres the cross, and marvels at his life for his obedience until death.
In the Catholic Church, the only sacraments celebrated arePenance and Anointing of the Sick. While there is no celebration of the Eucharist, Holy Communion is distributed to the faithful only in the Celebration of the Lord's Passion, but can be taken at any hour to the sick who are unable to attend this liturgy.
Outside the afternoon liturgical celebration, the altar remains completely bare in Catholic churches, without altar cloth, candlesticks, or cross. In Lutheran and Methodist churches, the altar is usually draped in black.
It is customary to empty the holy water fonts in preparation for the blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil.[44]
The Celebration of the Passion of the Lord takes place in the afternoon, ideally at three o'clock, but for pastoral reasons a later hour may be chosen.
In the Catholic Church the colour of the vestments is red. The Lutheran Church, Methodist Church, and Presbyterian Church continue to use black, as was the practice of the Catholic Church until 1970. If a bishop celebrates, he wears a plainmitre.
The Roman Rite liturgy consists of three parts: the Liturgy of the Word, the Veneration of the Cross, and Holy Communion.
ThePassion narrative of theGospel of John is sung or read, often divided between more than one singer or reader.
General Intercessions: The congregation prays for the Church, the Pope, the Jews, non-Christians, unbelievers and others.
Veneration of the Cross: Acrucifix is solemnly unveiled before the congregation. The people venerate it on their knees. During this part, the "Reproaches" are often sung.
Distribution of Holy Communion: Hosts consecrated at the Mass of the previous day are distributed to the people. (Before the reform ofPope Pius XII, only the priest received Communion in the framework of what was called the "Mass of the Presanctified", which included the usual Offertory prayers, with the placing of wine in the chalice, but which omitted theCanon of the Mass.[19]) The Good Friday liturgy is not aMass, and in fact, celebration of Catholic Mass on Good Friday is forbidden. It is theEucharist consecrated the evening before (Holy Thursday) that is distributed.
Even if music is used in the Liturgy, it is not used to open and close the Liturgy, nor is there a formal recessional (closing procession).
The solemnity and somberness of the occasion has encouraged the persistence over the centuries of liturgical forms without substantial modification.
If crucifixes were covered starting with the next to last Sunday in Lent, they are unveiled without ceremony after the Good Friday liturgy.
In some parishes of the Anglican Church, Catholic Church, Lutheran Church, and Methodist Church, the "Three Hours Devotion" is observed. This traditionally consists of a series of sermons, interspersed with singing, one on each of theSeven Last Words from the Cross, together with an introduction and a conclusion.[46][47]
Another pious exercise carried out on Good Friday is that of theStations of the Cross, either within the church or outside. The celebration at theColosseum with participation by the pope has become a traditional event.[48]
Holy Saturday is the day between the crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection. As theSabbath day, the Gospel accounts all note that Jesus was hurriedly buried in a cave tomb after his crucifixion, with the intent to finish proper embalming and burial ceremonies on Sunday, after the Sabbath had ended, as the Sabbath day prohibitions would have prevented observant Jews from completing a proper burial.
In the Catholic tradition after the Good Friday service, which represents the burial of Jesus, until theEaster Vigil on Saturday night, no mass takes place whatsoever on Holy Saturday. The celebration of the Easter Vigil liturgically belongs to Easter Sunday.
On Holy Saturday, the Church waits at the Lord's tomb, in prayer and fasting, meditating on his Passion and Death and on his Descent into Hell and awaiting his Resurrection. The Church abstains from the Sacrifice of the Mass, with the sacred table left bare, until after the solemn Vigil, that is, the anticipation by night of the Resurrection, when the time comes for paschal joys, the abundance of which overflows to occupy fifty days. Holy Communion may only be given on this day asViaticum.[52]
The doors of the empty tabernacle of the main altar are left open, to symbolise that Jesus Christ is gone. The lamp or candle usually situated next to the tabernacle denoting the presence of Christ is blown out.[53]
A Lutheran deacon holding thePaschal candle during the Easter Vigil
In the Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian traditions, the Easter Vigil, one of the longest and most solemn of liturgical liturgies, lasts up to three or four hours, consists of four parts:[12][54]
The Service of Light
The Liturgy of the Word
The Liturgy of Baptism: The sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation for new members of the Church and the Renewal of Baptismal Promises by the entire congregation.
The Liturgy begins after sundown onHoly Saturday as the crowd gathers inside the unlit church. In the darkness (often in a side chapel of the church building or, preferably, outside the church), a new fire is kindled and blessed by the priest. This new fire symbolizes the light of salvation and hope that God brought into the world through Christ's Resurrection, dispelling the darkness of sin and death. From this fire is lit thePaschal candle, symbolizing the Light of Christ. This Paschal candle will be used throughout the Eastertide, remaining in the sanctuary of the Church or near the lectern, and is kept in the baptistry throughout the liturgical year so that in the celebrations of baptisms the candles of the baptized may be lit from the candle.[55]
The candles of those present are lit from the Paschal candle. As this symbolic "light of Christ" spreads throughout those gathered, the darkness is decreased. A deacon, or the priest if there is no deacon, carries the Paschal Candle at the head of the entrance procession and, at three points, stops and chants the proclamation "The Light of Christ" (until Easter 2011, the official English text was "Christ our Light"), to which the people respond "Thanks be to God". Once the procession concludes with the singing of the third proclamation, the lights throughout the church are lit, except for the altar candles. Then the deacon or a cantor chants theExultet, also called the "Easter Proclamation". After that, the people extinguish their candles and sit down for the Liturgy of the Word.[56]
The Liturgy of the Word includes nine readings, seven (or at least three) from theOld Testament, followed by two from the New (an Epistle and a Gospel). The reading of the crossing of the Red Sea (Ex 14) must never be omitted. Each Old Testament reading is followed by a psalm or canticle (such as Exodus 15:1–18 and a prayer relating what has been read to the Mystery of Christ.[56]
After the Old Testament readings conclude, theGloria in excelsis Deo, which has been suspended during Lent, is intoned and bells are rung. A reading from theEpistle to the Romans is proclaimed. TheAlleluia is sung for the first time since the beginning of Lent. TheGospel of the Resurrection then follows, together with theResponsorial psalmody.[56]
After the conclusion of the Liturgy of the Word, the water of thebaptismal font is blessed and anycatechumens or candidates for full communion are initiated into the church, bybaptism orconfirmation. After the celebration of these sacraments of initiation, the congregation renews their baptismal vows and receive the sprinkling ofbaptismal water. The general intercessions follow.[56]
After the Liturgy of Baptism, the Liturgy of theEucharist continues as usual. This is the first Mass of Easter Day. During the Eucharist, the newly baptised receive Holy Communion for the first time. According to the rubrics of theMissal, the Easter vigil "ends before the dawn on the Sunday".[57]
TheLast Supper celebrated by Jesus and his disciples. The early Christians, too, would have celebrated this meal to commemorate Jesus's death and subsequent resurrection.
Easter Day (or Easter Sunday), which immediately follows Holy Week and begins with the Easter Vigil, is the great feast day and apogee of the Christian liturgical year: on this day the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is celebrated. It is the first day of the new season of the Great Fifty Days, orEastertide, which runs from Easter Day toPentecost Sunday. The Resurrection of Christ on Easter Day is the main reason why Christians keep every Sunday as the primary day of religious observance.[citation needed]
Recitation of the MarianRosary or of the hymnAkathistos, in church or an oratory; or in a family, a religious community, or a sodality of the faithful or, in general, when several of the faithful are gathered for any good purpose;
Thedevout reading or listening to the Sacred Scriptures for at least a half an hour.
A church inFlorianópolis, Brazil, preparated for the Good Friday celebrations.
Holy Week has developed into one of Brazil's main symbols of community identity, more specifically in the southern town of Campanha. The Campanha Holy Week begins on the Monday evening with the Procession of the Deposit. The figure of Our Lord of the Stations, representing the blood-stained Jesus carrying the cross, is brought from the church in a large black box and displayed in the main square. Then it is solemnly taken to the church following a band and a procession of people.[59][60]
Outside the church, a sermon is delivered on the Easter story of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection. After the sermon, a choir inside the open doors of the church sings theMiserere by Manoel Dias de Oliveria, while the black box is brought inside the church, and people come in to kiss the human-sized figure of Christ. Processions on Tuesday and Wednesday stop at different chapels at each of which a large painting portrays episodes of the Way of the Cross and a related hymn is sung at each. On Thursday morning the Chrism Mass is celebrated, with a blessing of the oils.[59][60]
Good Friday afternoon ceremonies are followed by the week's main spectacle of the Taking Down from the Cross in front of the cathedral followed by the Funeral Procession of Our Dead Lord. The drama shows Christ being taken from the cross and placed in a coffin, which is then taken around to the accompaniment of the "Song of Veronica". On Saturday morning a drama is performed by the youth.[59][60]
The following night, the Paschal Vigil is celebrated, and the streets are transformed into a beautiful array of intricate, colorful carpets to prepare for the following day. Easter Sunday begins before sunrise with the singing of the choir and band performances to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Bells and fireworks are followed by a Mass that ends with the "Hallelujah Chorus".[59][60]
Holy Week in Guatemala incorporates processions with images of saints carried on huge wooden platforms. The heavyandas are held by the locals, both men and women, who are frequently in purple robes. The procession is led by a man holding a container of incense accompanied by a small horn and flute band. Intricate carpets (alfombras) line the streets during the week's celebration. Easter processions begin at sunrise and everyone comes to join the festivities.[citation needed]
In Amatenango, the figure of Judas, who betrayed Christ has been the main point of focus during the Mayan Holy Week. The priest calls Judas the "killer of Christ". The figure used to be beaten after the Crucifixion performance on Good Friday, but is now treated more calmly.[61][62]
The hollyday is celebrated inComayagua. The tradition its still practiced as the same way that was introduced in the 16th century by the Spanish conquerors. Every Holy Week people make the famousalfombras de aserrín or colored carpets made of wood dust that represent a scene of the life and death ofJesus Christ of theVirgin Mary and other saints or theHoly spirit.[citation needed]
Holy Week is also widely celebrated inTegucigalpa following similar traditions of Comayagua, mostly in the historic center of the city, Similar to Guatemala, the Honduran Holy Week incorporates processions with images of saints carried on huge wooden platforms. In other communities asGracias Lempira and different towns is still widely celebrated.[citation needed]
Easter in Italy (Italian:Pasqua,pronounced[ˈpa.skwa]) is one of thecountry's major holidays.[63] Holy Week (Italian:Settimana santa,pronounced[settiˈmanaˈsan.ta]) is observed in parts ofSouthern Italy, notablySicily. The most famous is the Holy Week ofTrapani, culminating in theProcessione dei Misteri di Trapani or simply theMisteri di Trapani (in English the Procession of the Mysteries of Trapani or the Mysteries of Trapani). This is a day-long passion procession featuring 20 floats of lifelike sculptures made of wood, canvas and glue. These sculptures are of individual scenes of the events of the Passion, a passion play at the centre and the culmination of the Holy Week in Trapani. TheMisteri are amongst the oldest continuously running religious events in Europe, having been played everyGood Friday since before the Easter of 1612, and running for at least 16 continuous hours, but occasionally well beyond 24 hours, are the longest religious festivals in Sicily and in Italy.[64]
Holy Weeks worthy of note in Italy are also theHoly Week in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto and theHoly Week in Ruvo di Puglia. The Holy Week in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto is rooted in the history of Spanish Sicily (1516–1713) when the entire island subject to the domination ofCrown of Aragon, combined with theKingdom of Naples passes under the jurisdiction of theCrown of Spain. In 1571 "Pozzogottesi" obtained from the Grand Court of the Archbishop ofMessina permission to elect their chaplain stationed inSaint Vitus no longer depend from the Archpriest ofMilazzo. The first procession is carried out in 1621 as a movement of protest against the Jurors of the city ofMilazzo, under whose jurisdiction Pozzo di Gotto depended politically and physically by providing a distant village and as a vow and promise to break the bond of subordination constraint which was permanently discontinued on the 22 May 1639.[65]
The rites of the Holy Week inRuvo di Puglia are the main event that takes place in the Apulian town. Folklore and sacred or secular traditions, typical of the ruvestine tradition, represent a great attraction for tourists from neighboring cities and the rest of Italy and Europe,[66] and have been included by theI.D.E.A. among the events of the intangible heritage of Italy. The proof of the existence of the first Ruvestines confraternities can be found in thepolyptych, aByzantine work signed Z. T., depicting theMadonna with Child and confreres in which the inscription"Hoc opus fieri fec(e)runt, confratres san(c)ti Cleti, anno salut(i)s 1537" and preserved in the church of Purgatory, in the left aisle, the one dedicated to Saint Anacletus.[67]
The Holy Week commemorations reach their paramount on Good Friday as the Catholic Church celebrates the passion of Jesus. Solemn celebrations take place in all churches together with processions in different villages aroundMalta andGozo. During the celebration, the narrative of the passion is read in some localities. The Cross follows a significant Way of Jesus. Good Friday processions take place inBirgu,Bormla,Għaxaq,Luqa,Mosta,Naxxar,Paola,Qormi,Rabat,Senglea,Valletta,Żebbuġ andŻejtun. Processions in Gozo will be inNadur,Victoria,Xagħra Xewkija, andŻebbuġ.[citation needed]
Yaqui Holy Week is both ritualistic and dramaturgic in its celebrations. The rituals date back to the early seventeenth century, at the time of pioneeringJesuit priest.[68] The major event of the Yaqui Indians during Holy Week occurs on Wednesday evening in which people arrive at the church on horseback and begin to crawl and dance naked on the floor. Light begins to go out and people begin the whipping, screaming and crying to the sound of traditional music of sacrifice. InTucson, dancers are used to wear dark coats and black hide masks, instead of blankets.[68]
Children in white robes with blue painted faces and a dark hooded figure, symbolizing the betrayer of Christ, join the Thursday morning procession to the church. There they promise to serve God for the next three or five years, until their eyes start to bleed just like Christ's would. That night, there is a symbolic search for Jesus when the "Pharisees" visit various crosses in the streets and capture the "old man" (symbolic Jesus). On Friday a member of the church who volunteers to represent Jesus is beaten and buried for two days. On Saturday, an image of Jesus Christ's betrayer,Judas Iscariot, and takes place anapotropaic battle destroying the evil which has been accumulated in the town during the next year. Sunday celebrates Christ's resurrection filled with beautiful flowers and fireworks, while the volunteer rises from where he was buried. A dance drama is performed enacting evil being defeated by good.[69][70]
In the predominantly CatholicPhilippines, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are national holidays; work is suspended in government offices and private businesses. Most stores are closed and most people in the cities return to their home provinces to commemorate Holy Week in their home town.[71]
Holy Week is commemorated with street processions featuring wheeledcarrozas or floats carrying various icons, theWay of the Cross, and aPassion play called theSenákulo In some communities (most famously inSan Fernando,Pampanga), the processions include devotees who self-flagellate and sometimes even have themselves nailed to crosses as expressions of penance.[71] After 15:00PHT on Good Friday (the time at which Jesus is traditionally believed to have died), noise is discouraged,[72] manyradio stations andtelevision stationsclose down (some broadcast religious programming, with non-Catholic owned stations continuing broadcast), and the faithful are urged to keep a solemn and prayerful disposition through toEaster Sunday.[citation needed]
AtMass onPalm Sunday, Catholics carry "palaspás" or palm leaves to be blessed by the priest. Many Filipinos bring home the palm leaves after the Mass and place these above their front doors or their windows, believing that doing so can ward off evil spirits.[72] Holy Monday marks the beginning of thePabasa (Tagalog, "reading"), the marathon chanting of thePasyón, apoem narrating Jesus Christ's life and death.[73] The chanting, which continues day and night without interruption, lasts as long as two straight days.[citation needed]
One of the most important Holy Week traditions in the Philippines is theVisita Iglesia (Spanish for "church visit").[74] On Maundy Thursday, the faithful visit seven churches to pray theStations of the Cross, and in the evenings, pray in front of each church's Altar of Repose.[75]
Easter Day is marked with joyous celebration, the first being the dawnSalubong rite, wherein statues of Jesus and Mary are brought in procession together to meet, imagining the first reunion of Jesus and his mother Mary after theResurrection. This is followed by the joyous Easter Mass. Most Catholic communities across the Philippines practice this, though it is more popularly celebrated in the provinces.[76] The rite, originally called theencuentro, was introduced by Spanish priests during the colonial era.[77]
Cartagena,Lorca,Granada,Murcia,Málaga,Seville,Valladolid,Palencia,Jerez de la Frontera,Zamora,León orFerrol hold elaborate processions for Holy Week. A tradition dating frommedieval times that has spread to other cities inAndalusia, the"Semana Santa en Sevilla" is notable for featuring the procession of"pasos", lifelike wood or plaster sculptures of individual scenes of the events that happened between Jesus Christ's arrest and his burial, or images of the Virgin Mary showing grief for the torture and killing of her son. Holy week processions in Seville include marching bands that escort the pasos.[78]
In Málaga, the lifelike wooden or plaster sculptures are called "tronos" and they are carried through the streets by "costaleros" ( Translated literally as "sack men", because of thecostal, a sack-like cloth that they wear over their neck, to soften the burden). These pasos and tronos are physically carried on their necks or "braceros" (this name is popular in León). The paso can weigh up to five metric tonnes. In front of them walk the penitentes, dressed in long purple robes, often with pointed hats, followed by women in black carrying candles for up to 11 hours. The pasos are set up and maintained byhermandades andcofradías, religious brotherhoods, common to a specific area of the city, who precede the paso dressed in Roman military costumes or penitential robes.[citation needed]
Those members who wish to do so wear these penitential robes with conical hats, orcapirotes, used to conceal the face of the wearer. These "Nazarenos" or "Papones" (this word is typical of León) carry processional candles, may walk the city streets barefoot, and may carry shackles and chains on their feet as penance. A brass band, marching band, a drum and bugle band, or in the cases ofCartagena and Málaga a military band (such as that of theSpanish Legion or other military units) may accompany the group, playing funeral marches, hymns or "marchas" written for the occasion.[citation needed]
In theEastern Orthodox Church, the forty days ofGreat Lent end on the Friday before Palm Sunday. The two days that follow,Lazarus Saturday andPalm Sunday, form a transition to Holy Week, neither in Lent nor in Holy Week themselves, but in combination with Holy Week containing the continuing observances in preparation forPascha (Easter), during which the faithful continue to fast.[citation needed]
Lazarus Saturday commemorates Jesusraising Lazarus from the dead, just before he went to Jerusalem himself. The main themes anticipate theResurrection of Jesus, showing him as master over death. On this day wine and oil are allowed (and, in the Russian tradition,caviar), lightening the fast by one degree. Palm Sunday is considered one of theGreat Feasts of the Lord, and is celebrated with fish, wine and oil, the lightest degree of fasting, in observance of the festival. Because it is a Great Feast of the Lord, the normal resurrectional elements of the Sundayliturgies are omitted. However, some of these resurrectional elements are found in the Lazarus Saturday liturgy.[citation needed]
Holy Week is referred to as "Great and Holy Week", or "Passion Week".[79] Since the Orthodox liturgical day starts at sunset (as it has from antiquity), Holy Monday liturgies begin Sunday evening, at the normal timing for Monday Vespers (Vespers is the first liturgy of the day). However, during Holy Week, in most parishes, many liturgy times are advanced from six to twelve hours in time and celebrated in anticipation, which permits more of the faithful to attend the most prominent liturgies. Thus, it is thematins liturgy of Great Monday that is on "Palm Sunday" evening in parish churches and oftenvespers is in the morning.[citation needed]
Fasting during Great and Holy Week is very strict, as in Lent at a minimum: dairy products and meat products are strictly forbidden, and on most days, no alcoholic beverages are permitted and no oil is used in cooking. Holy Friday and Holy Saturday especially may exceed Lenten norms. Those who can, including monastics, observe them as days of abstention, meaning that nothing is eaten on those days. However, fasting is always adjusted to the needs of the individual, and those who are very young, ill or elderly are not expected to fast as strictly. Those who are able may receive the blessing of theirspiritual father to observe an even stricter fast, whereby they eat only two meals that week: one on Wednesday night and one afterDivine Liturgy on Thursday.[citation needed]
A new liturgical day beginning at sunset, the first liturgy of each day isvespers at whichstichera are chanted elaborating the theme of the new day.[80][citation needed]
These days' Orthros liturgies (which in parishes is performed the previous night) are often referred to as the "Bridegroom Prayer", because of their theme of Christ as the Bridegroom of the Church, a theme expressed in thetroparion that is solemnly chanted during them. On these days, anicon of the "Bridegroom" is placed on ananalogion in the center of thetemple, portraying Jesus wearing the purplerobe of mockery and crowned with acrown of thorns (seeInstruments of the Passion).[citation needed]
The same theme is repeated in theexapostilarion, a hymn which occurs near the end of the liturgy. These liturgies follow much the same pattern as liturgies on weekdays ofGreat Lent. The liturgies are so laid out that the entirePsalter (with the exception ofKathisma XVII) is chanted on the first three days of Holy Week. Thecanon that is chanted on these days is a "Triode", i.e., composed of threeodes instead of the usual nine, as is in other weekday liturgies in theTriodion.[citation needed]
Towards the end of the Tuesday evening Bridegroom liturgy (Orthros for Great and Holy Wednesday), theHymn of Kassiani is sung. Thehymn (written in the 9th century byKassia) tells of the woman who washed Christ's feet in the house ofSimon the Pharisee (Luke 7:36–50). Much of the hymn is written from the perspective of the sinful woman:
O Lord, the woman who had fallen into many sins, sensing Your Divinity, takes upon herself the duty of a myrrh-bearer. With lamentations she brings you myrrh in anticipation of your entombment. "Woe to me!" she cries, "for me night has become a frenzy of licentiousness, a dark and moonless love of sin. Receive the fountain of my tears, O You who gathers into clouds the waters of the sea. Incline unto me, unto the sighings of my heart, O You who bowed the heavens by your ineffable condescension. I will wash your immaculate feet with kisses and dry them again with the tresses of my hair; those very feet at whose sound Eve hid herself from in fear when she heard You walking in Paradise in the twilight of the day. As for the multitude of my sins and the depths of Your judgements, who can search them out, O Savior of souls, my Savior? Do not disdain me Your handmaiden, O You who are boundless in mercy."
The Byzantine musical composition expresses the poetry so strongly that it leaves many people in a state of prayerful tears. The Hymn can last upwards of 25 minutes and is liturgically and musically a highpoint of the entire year.[citation needed]
An Orthodoxicon of Christ washing the feet of the Apostles (16th century,Pskov school oficonography)
In many churches, especially Greek Orthodox, a liturgy ofAnointing (Holy Unction) is held on Wednesday evening, following the Presanctified Liturgy. This is in commemoration of theanointing of Jesus, and a preparation of the faithful to enter with Christ into his death and Resurrection. Those who wish to receiveHoly Communion on Great and Holy Thursday, are encouraged to receive theHoly Mystery of Unction.[citation needed]
Orthros of Great and Holy Thursday does not follow the format of Great Lent (with the singular exception of chantingAlleluia in place ofGod is the Lord), but is celebrated as outside Lent, having a complete canon. Also, beginning at this liturgy there will be no more reading of the psalter for the rest of Holy Week, with the exception ofkathisma XVII at Orthros of Great and Holy Saturday.[citation needed]
Divine Liturgy of theLast Supper is held on the morning of Great and Holy Thursday, combining Vespers with theLiturgy of Saint Basil the Great. There is a custom among some churches to place a simple white linen cloth over theHoly Table (altar) for this Liturgy, reminiscent of the Last Supper. In cathedrals andmonasteries it is customary for thebishop orhegumen (abbot) to celebrate theWashing of Feet. When it is necessary for anautocephalous church to consecrate morechrysm theprimate of that church will consecrate it at this Liturgy.[citation needed]
Great and Holy Thursday is the only day during Holy Week when those observing the strict tradition will eat a cooked meal, though they will not do so until after thedismissal of the Liturgy. At this meal wine and oil are permitted, but the faithful still abstain from meat and dairy products.[citation needed]
Matins of Great and Holy Friday is celebrated on the evening of Holy Thursday. During this liturgy, twelveMatins Gospels are chanted, from which this liturgy derives its name of "Matins of the Twelve Gospels". These Gospel lessons recount in chronological order the events from the Last Supper through theCrucifixion andburial of Jesus. At one point, when we reach the first Gospel which speaks of the Crucifixion, there is a custom for the priest to bring out a largecross with anicon of the crucified Christ attached to it, and places it in the center of thenave for all the faithful to venerate. This cross will remain in the center of the church until the bringing out of theepitaphios the next evening.[citation needed]
On Great and Holy Friday morning theRoyal Hours are served. These are a solemn celebration of theLittle Hours with added hymns and readings.[citation needed]
The Epitaphios (Plashchanitza) placed in thenave of the church for the faithful to venerate. TheGospel Book rests in the center.
Vespers of Great and Holy Friday (Vespers of theDeposition from the Cross) is held in the morning or early afternoon of Great and Holy Friday. The figure of Christ is taken down from the Cross, and a richly embroidered cloth icon called theEpitaphios (Church Slavonic:Plashchanitza) depicting Christ prepared for burial is laid in a "Tomb" decorated with flowers. At the end of the liturgy all come forward to venerate the Epitaphios.[citation needed]
Matins of Great and Holy Saturday is, in parish practice, held on Friday evening. The liturgy is known as the "Orthros ofLamentations at the Tomb", because the majority of the liturgy is composed of the clergy and faithful gathered around the tomb, chanting the "Lamentations" interspersed between the verses of Kathisma XVII (Psalm 118). At a certain point the priest sprinkles the tomb with rose petals androse water. Near the end of the liturgy, the Epitaphios is carried in a candlelit procession around the outside of the church as the faithful sing theTrisagion.[citation needed]
Vespers joined to theDivine Liturgy is served on Great and Holy Saturday, prescribed by the Liturgical books to be served in the afternoon but often served in the morning. This is theProti Anastasi (First Resurrection) liturgy, commemorating theHarrowing of Hell. Just before the reading of the Gospel, thehangings andvestments and changed from dark lenten colors to white, and the entire mood of the liturgy changes from mourning to joy. However, the faithful do not yet greet one another with thePaschal kiss, since the Resurrection has not yet been announced to the living.[citation needed]
People receiving the Holy Light at Easter from Father Diogenis at St George Greek Orthodox Church,Adelaide
On Saturday night, thePaschal Vigil begins around 11:00 pm with the chanting of theMidnight Office. Afterwards, all of the lighting in the church is extinguished and all remain in silence and darkness until the stroke of midnight. Then, the priest lights a single candle from theeternal flame on the altar (which is never extinguished). The light is spread from person to person until everyone holds a lighted candle.[citation needed]
A procession then circles around the outside of the church, recreating the journey of theMyrrhbearers as they journeyed to theTomb of Jesus on the first Easter morning. The procession stops in front of the closed doors of the church. The opening of these doors symbolized the "rolling away of the stone" from the tomb by the angel, and all enter the church joyfully singing theTroparion ofPascha. Paschal Orthros begins with anEktenia (litany) and the chanting of the PaschalCanon.[citation needed]
One of the highpoints is the sharing of thepaschal kiss and the reading of theHieratikon (CatecheticalHomily ofJohn Chrysostom) by the priest. The Divine Liturgy follows, and every Orthodox Christian is encouraged toconfess and receiveHoly Communion on this holiest day of the year. Abreakfast usually follows, sometimes lasting till dawn. Slavs bringEaster baskets filled with eggs, meat, butter, and cheese—foods from which the faithful have abstained duringGreat Lent—to be blessed by the priest which are then taken back home to be shared by family and friends with joy.[citation needed]
On the afternoon of Easter Day, a joyful liturgy called "Agape Vespers" is celebrated. During this liturgy, theGreat Prokeimenon is chanted and a lesson from the Gospel (John 20:19–25) is read in as many different languages as possible, accompanied by the joyful ringing of bells.[citation needed]
The Raising of Lazarus — 15th century. Novgorod school. 72 x 60 cm. The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
The Coptic Orthodox Christians fast the Lent for 55 days including the Holy Week which they call Holy Paschal Week.[81]
The Friday before Palm Sunday is called "The Concluding Friday of Great Lent". On this day a special liturgy called "The Unction of the Sick" is conducted. It consists of seven prayers and at the conclusion of the prayers, the priest anoints each member of the congregation with the holy oil.[citation needed]
The following day – the last Saturday before Holy Week – is called "Lazarus Saturday". On this day the Coptic Church commemorates theRaising of Lazarus, the brother ofMartha andMary of Bethany. This day is related to the events of Holy Week in thatJohn 12 tells of a visit of Jesus to Lazarus immediately before recounting the events of Palm Sunday.[citation needed]
Since the liturgical day starts from the evening before a calendar day, the prayers of Palm Sunday begin on the evening of Lazarus' Saturday.[citation needed]
Throughout Holy Week, a paschal liturgy is conducted each evening, starting on Sunday night (the eve of Monday), and every morning, up until Easter. These paschal liturgies take place in the middle of the church, not on the altar, because Jesus suffered and was crucified on Golgotha, outside of Jerusalem. The altar is bared of all its coverings and relics.[citation needed]
Each day liturgy is divided into 5 "hours"; The First Hour, The Third Hour, The Sixth Hour, The Ninth Hour, and The Eleventh Hour.Likewise, each night liturgy is also divided into the same five hours. However, Good Friday has an extra hour added to it, that of The Twelfth Hour.During each hour, one or a few prophecies are read at the beginning, a hymn ("Thine is the Power") is chanted twelve times, a psalm is sung in a sad tune, one passage from a gospel is read, and an exposition concludes the hour.On Good Friday Eve andGood Friday, all four gospel accounts of the day's events are read,[82] and more prophecies are read as well.From Tuesday night onward, the people do not greet each other nor the priests, and do not even kiss the icons of saints in the church, because it was with a kiss that Judas betrayed Jesus.[citation needed]
On Thursday of Holy Week, also called Covenant Thursday, a liturgy is prayed and communion is given to symbolize theLast Supper of Jesus. Also, before the liturgy the priests wash the feet of the congregation in imitation of Jesus washing his disciples' feet.[citation needed]
The series concludes with the Easter liturgy on Saturday night, followed by a gathering in the church (or a park) where the participants can celebrate the joy of the Resurrection, eating together and ending their long fast, and at which they are permitted once again to partake of meat, fish, and dairy products.[citation needed] From Easter untilPentecost the usual fasts on Wednesday and Friday are not observed, because it's a time of joy called the Holy Fifty Days.
Eastern Catholic Churches and Eastern Lutheran Churches
Holy Week observances and customs of theEastern Catholic andEastern Lutheran churches are generally the same as in the rites of the corresponding Eastern Orthodox or Oriental Orthodox Church or Assyrian Church of the East.[citation needed]
Through time, the festival of Holy Week was extended at both ends, with observances starting on Friday of Sorrows, the last Friday before Palm Sunday, and Eastertide, with various observances marking days of the Easter Octave.
The religious processions that are part of the Holy Week celebrations in many countries begin two days before Holy Week on what in those countries is called Friday of Sorrows.
On the Friday before Holy Week, theRoman Rite celebrated universally from 1727 to 1969 a liturgical feast of theSeven Sorrows of Mary. Celebration of this feast began in Germany but spread to many other countries even beforePope Benedict XIII made it a universal feast, assigning it to the Friday before Palm Sunday. Another feast with the same name was and still is celebrated in September.[83] With hisCode of Rubrics of 1960,Pope John XXIII reduced the feast on the Friday of what was then called Passion Week (the week before Holy Week) to the level of acommemoration, and in 1969 the celebration was removed from theGeneral Roman Calendar as a duplicate of the September feast.[84]Pope John Paul II's 2002 edition of theRoman Missal provides an alternativecollect for this Friday:[85]
O God, who in this season give your Church the grace to imitate devoutly the Blessed Virgin Mary in contemplating the Passion of Christ, grant, we pray, through her intercession, that we may cling more firmly each day to your Only Begotten Son and come at last to the fullness of his grace.
This provision of an alternative collect was the equivalent of granting the Lenten celebration of Our Lady of Sorrow the rank ofmemorial, since during Lent a memorial, even if otherwise obligatory, is represented in the liturgy of the day at most by optional use of its collect.[86] The liturgical calendar ofMalta gives the celebration the rank of feast, making its observance obligatory. Observance of the Tridentine Mass calendar as it stood in 1962 is still permitted in the circumstances indicated in the 2007 documentSummorum Pontificum, giving Our Lady of Sorrows acommemoration within the liturgy of the Friday.[citation needed]
In manyLatin American countries, such asMexico,Brazil,Nicaragua,Guatemala andPeru, as well as inSpain and the Philippines, this Friday feast ofOur Lady of Sorrows is calledViernes de Dolores (Friday of Sorrows). It is sometimes also referred to as "Council Friday", because of the choice of John 11:47–54 as the Gospel passage read in theTridentine Mass on that day (which is now read in slightly expanded form on Saturday of the fifth week of Lent), which recounts the meeting of theSanhedrin to discuss what to do with Jesus. Its date is exactly a week beforeGood Friday.[citation needed]
The somber and often nocturnal commemoration with public processions directs thoughts to the desolate emotional state of the Virgin Mary on Black Saturday as prophesied by the Rabbi Simeon on the "seven sorrows" that as an allegorical sword pierced her heart. She is represented as worrying and grieving with SaintMary Magdalene for Jesus; therefore the event is markedly similar to amourning event among the people.[citation needed]
The Octave of Easter, also referred to asBright Week in the Eastern tradition, is the eight-day period (octave) inEastertide that starts on Easter Sunday and concludes with thefollowing Sunday.[citation needed]
Easter Monday is the day afterEaster Sunday and is a holiday in some countries. Easter Monday in the Western Christianliturgical calendar is the second day ofEastertide and analogously in theByzantine Rite is the second day ofBright Week. Recognized as a bank holiday in many countries, many traditional religious events, as open-air Masses and blessings with the Easter water happen on Easter Monday, as well as other popular traditions linked to the Easter eggs, such as the Easter omelette, made from Easter eggs and shared with friends and neighbours in the South of France.[citation needed]
Traditionally, boys throw water over girls and spank them withpussy willow[87] branches on Easter Monday, and girls do the same to boys. This is accompanied by a number of other rituals, such as making verse declarations and holding door-to-door processions, in some regions involving boys dressed as bears or other creatures. The origins of the celebration are uncertain, but it may date topagan times before 1000 AD; it is described in writing as early as the 15th century. It continues to be observed throughoutCentral Europe, and also in theUnited States, where certain patriotic American elements have been added to the traditional Polish ones.[citation needed]
In theEastern Orthodox Church andByzantine RiteCatholic Churches, this day is called "Bright Monday" or "Renewal Monday". The services, as in the rest of Bright Week, are quite different from during the rest of the year and are similar to the services on Pascha (Easter Sunday) and include an outdoorprocession after theDivine Liturgy; while this is prescribed for all days of that week, often they are only celebrated on Monday and maybe a couple of other days in parish churches, especially in non-Orthodox countries. Also, when the calendar date of thefeast day of a major saint,e.g.,St. George or the patron saint of a church or one'sname day, falls during Holy Week or on Easter Sunday, the saint's day is celebrated on Easter Monday.[88][89]
A different celebration of Easter Monday takes place in Egypt.Sham Ennessim (Arabic: شم النسيم,Sham Al Nassim orSham an-Nassim,IPA:[ˈʃæmm ennɪˈsiːm])Coptic: Ϭⲱⲙ ̀ⲛⲛⲓⲥⲓⲙ,Shom Ennisim) is anEgyptian national holiday marking the beginning of spring. It always falls on the day after theEastern ChristianEaster (following the custom of the largest Christian denomination in the country, theCoptic Orthodox Church).[citation needed]
In the Latin tradition, theGospel of the Pilgrims of Emmaus was traditionally sung on Easter Tuesday during the liturgy. For that reason, it was on Easter Tuesday that joyful plays would echo the more tragic processions of Holy Week. These plays, which originated in theBenedictine monasteries, became known as theOfficium Peregrinorum. They were popular during the Middle Ages, but remained an "unusual liturgical drama in the West".[90]
^abcCooper, J.HB. (23 October 2013).Dictionary of Christianity. Routledge. p. 124.ISBN9781134265466. Retrieved25 April 2014.Holy Week. The last week in LENT. It begins on PALM SUNDAY; the fourth day is called SPY WEDNESDAY; the fifth is MAUNDY THURSDAY or HOLY THURSDAY; the sixth is GOOD FRIDAY; and the last 'Holy Saturday', or the 'Great Sabbath'.
^abBrewer, Ebenezer Cobham (1896).The Historic Notebook: With an Appendix of Battles. J. B. Lippincott. p. 669. Retrieved25 April 2014.The last seven days of this period constitute Holy Week. The first day of Holy Week is Palm Sunday, the fourth day is Spy Wednesday, the fifth Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday, the sixth Good Friday or Holy Friday, and the last Holy Saturday or the Great Sabbath in Eastern Rite traditions.
^abMelton, J. Gordon (13 September 2011).Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 527.ISBN978-1-59884-206-7.Lent (Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday): The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and lasts until the final Saturday before Easter, Holy Saturday. It includes "Holy Week," the week before Easter. For six weeks preceding Easter, it is a time of penitential prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to prepare for the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday. This season of Lent originally was also a time of preparation for baptismal candidates and those separated from the Church who were rejoining the community. Holy Week, the last week of Lent, commemorates the last week of the earthly life of Jesus Christ. It covers the events of his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the last supper, the arrest, and his death by crucifixion. Beginning with the sixth Sunday of Lent, Holy Week includes Palm Sunday, Spy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.
^Vlavianos, Sotirios (2011)."Great Week". In McGuckin, John Anthony (ed.).The Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. p. 281.ISBN978-1-4051-8539-4.Great Week (or Holy Week) is the most important part of the liturgical year for the Eastern Churches. It belongs to the moveable liturgical cycle and follows the Holy and Great Lenten period, beginning with Palm Sunday and ending on Great Saturday evening before the Divine Liturgy of the Resurrection (Pascha).
^Crump, William D. (22 February 2021).Encyclopedia of Easter Celebrations Worldwide. McFarland. p. 128.ISBN978-1-4766-4196-6.
^Blackwell, Amy Hackney (2009).Lent, Yom Kippur, and Other Atonement Days. Infobase Publishing. pp. 15–16.ISBN978-1-4381-2796-5.The last week of Lent is calledHoly Week in the Western Churches, andGreat and Holy Week in the Eastern. During this week, believers remember the events in the last week of Jesus Christ's life. These include Christ's entrance into Jerusalem and his suffering on the way to crucifixion, which are sometimes called the "Passion of Jesus Christ," or "Passion of Christ."
^Monk, Charlene Faye, "Passion Plays in the United States: The Contemporary Outdoor Tradition." (1998).LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 6691.
^abRamshaw, Gail (2004).The Three-Day Feast: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. Augsburg Books. p. 7.ISBN9780806651156. Retrieved13 April 2014.Many Christians are already familiar with the ancient, and now recently restored, liturgies of the Three Days: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the great Easter Vigil service of light, readings, baptism, and communion. The worship resources published by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Episcopal Church, the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. and the Catholic Church include nearly identical versions of these liturgies.
^The Episcopal Church (1979).The Book of Common Prayer. New York: The Church Hymnal Corporation. pp. 31–32.
^The Episcopal Church (1979).The Book of Common Prayer. The Church Hymnal Corporation. p. 17.
^Bower, Peter C. (1 January 2003).The Companion to the Book of Common Worship. Geneva Press. p. 111.ISBN9780664502324. Retrieved13 April 2014.Presbyterians, Methodists, and Roman Catholics call this day Passion/Palm Sunday; the United Church of Christ calls it Palm/Passion Sunday; Lutherans and Episcopalians call it The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday.
^Kosloski, Philip (28 March 2018)."What is "Spy Wednesday"?". Aleteia. Retrieved17 April 2019.From Wednesday onward, Judas secretly watched for a chance to turn Jesus over to the chief priests, and so many Christians labeled this day as "Spy Wednesday." In the same vein various cultures reflected the somber mood of this day by calling it "Black Wednesday" or "Wednesday of Shadows," which also corresponds to the liturgical rite of Tenebrae that is celebrated on this day.
^Book of Occasional Services.Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. 2018.In this book, provision is made for Tenebrae on Wednesday evening only, in order that the proper liturgies of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday may find their place as the principal services of those days.
^Ruehlmann, Greg (21 March 2008)."In The Dark". Busted Halo. Retrieved18 April 2019.It has not been popular in decades, and it would be misleading to call it a "best-kept secret" of the Catholic Church—it's celebrated by some mainline Anglican and Lutheran communities as well.
^How is oil used in worship?.Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. 2013. p. 2.This service, also called a Chrism Mass, is held during Holy Week and presided over by a synodical bishop. At this unique liturgy, the blessing of oil is coupled with a renewal of vows for rostered leaders. The traditional day for this service is Holy Thursday (when some traditions believe the first ordinations took place).
^The Anglican Service Book. Good Shepherd Press. 1991. p. 171.ISBN9780962995507.Sufficient bread and wine may be consecrated on this day for the Mass of the Presanctified on Good Friday. The Sacrament is then taken to an altar of repose where the faithful are asked to "watch and pray". The altar, symbol of Christ is stripped of its vesture and the building is left bare for the solemnity of Good Friday.
^Fakes, Dennis R. (1994).Exploring Our Lutheran Liturgy. CSS Publishing. p. 34.ISBN9781556735967.
^Hickman, Hoyt L. (1 July 2011).United Methodist Altars: A Guide for the Congregation (Revised ed.). Abingdon Press. p. 55.ISBN9781426730696.
^ Thurston, Herbert (1913)."Holy Week". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.).Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved24 March 2018.Finally, Maundy Thursday has from an early period been distinguished by the service of the Maundy, or Washing of the Feet, in memory of the preparation of Christ for the Last Supper, as also by the stripping and washing of the altars
^Pfatteicher, Philip H. (23 September 2013).Living the Liturgical Year. Oxford University Press. p. 212.ISBN9780199997138. Retrieved13 April 2014.The Three-Hour (Tre-ore) service, an extra-liturgical (that is, outside the liturgical tradition) service, held to mark the hours of Christ's passion from noon until three in the afternoon, was instituted by the Jesuits on the occasion of the1687 Peru earthquake. The service was introduced into the Church of England in the 1860s and was for a time widely observed in Anglican and Lutheran and some Catholic churches. A prominent feature was preaching on the "Seven Last Words" of Jesus from the cross, a conflation of the accounts in the four Gospels.
^J. Dudley Weaver Jr. (2002).Presbyterian Worship: A Guide for Clergy. Geneva Press. p. 102.ISBN9780664502188. Retrieved13 April 2014.The Easter Vigil consists of four parts: the Service of Light, the service of Readings (the Word), the celebration of Baptism, and the celebration of the Lord's Supper.
^Paschale Sollemnitatis, Circular Letter concerning the preparation and celebration of the Easter feasts, No. 99
^abcdReily, Suzel Ana (June 2006). "Remembering the Baroque Era: Historical Consciousness, Local Identity and the Holy Week Celebrations in a Former Mining Town in Brazil".Ethnomusicology Forum.15 (1):39–62.doi:10.1080/17411910600634247.JSTOR20184539.S2CID161691187.
^Shapiro, Michael (2008).Guatemala: a Journey Through the Land of the Maya. Purple Moon Publications; 1st edition.ISBN9780615210582.
^Nash, June (1994). "Judas Transformed [Maya, Holy Week]".Natural History.103 (3).
^McGuire, Thomas (1989). "Ritual, Theater, and the Persistence of the Ethnic Group: Interpreting Yaqui Semana Santa".Journal of the Southwest.31 (2):159–178.JSTOR40169672.
^Тvпико́нъ сіесть уста́въ (Title here transliterated into Russian; actually in Church Slavonic) (The Typicon which is the Order), Москва (Moscow, Russian Empire): Сvнодальная тvпографiя (The Synodal Printing House), 1907, p. 468
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