Christian Holidays · Holy Week
Maundy Thursday
The Last Supper and the washing of the disciples' feet.
When: The Thursday before Easter
Origin and history
Maundy Thursday, also called Holy Thursday, remembers the Last Supper, the meal Jesus shared with his apostles on the night before he died, and the moment when he washed their feet as an example of humble service. The name Maundy comes from the Latin mandatum, 'commandment', after Jesus's words, 'I give you a new commandment.' According to the first three Gospels, the Last Supper was held at the Passover feast. The day begins the Paschal Triduum, the three holiest days of the Christian year.
Customs
- Services remembering the Last Supper, often with the washing of feet.
- In the United Kingdom the monarch gives Maundy money in red and white purses to elderly people, one man and one woman for each year of the sovereign's age, a custom dating back to King Edward I.
How traditions differ
Holy Week dates differ between churches that use the Gregorian calendar and the Eastern churches, which generally use the Julian calendar for Easter. In the Anglican Communion, the term 'Holy Thursday' can also mean Ascension Day.
In the library
Works: The Bible
More in Holy Week
Sources checked: Maundy Thursday (Wikipedia); Holy Week (Wikipedia).