The Orthodox call each of the next seven days Great
Today is the first day of the sixth and last week Great Lent. Holy Week, or as it is also called, Holy Week, is associated with a large number of traditions, among which voluntary food restriction is the most famous, but, according to many, it is not intended to be perceived as an end in itself.
Each day of Holy Week is dedicated to memories of a particular event described in the Old or New Testament. Thus, today we remember the Old Testament Patriarch Joseph, who is sometimes called the prototype of Jesus Christ. According to religious texts, Joseph's elder brothers sold Joseph to a passing caravan of Ishmaelites or Arabians for 20 pieces of silver, and he was then resold in Egypt. Also on Maundy Monday, believers remember the drying up of a barren fig tree by Jesus Christ. It symbolizes that a person’s life should bear spiritual fruits: prayers and good deeds. On Monday you are allowed to eat only bread, fruits, vegetables, honey and nuts.
On Holy Tuesday, we remember the sermons of Jesus Christ about the resurrection of the dead, about the Last Judgment and some others, as well as an episode from the New Testament in which, answering the question whether it is permissible to give taxes to Caesar, Christ answered with the famous phrase “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” " Also, April 2 marks nine days since the tragedy in Kemerovo - a funeral litany for the victims will be held in all churches of the Russian Orthodox Church after morning or evening services.
On Great Wednesday, believers remember how Judas Iscariot decided to betray Jesus Christ for 30 pieces of silver, and how the repentant sinner prepared Jesus for burial, washing him with tears and anointing his feet with precious myrrh. On Tuesday and Wednesday, in addition to the food that is acceptable on Monday, you can eat raw food without oil.
The Orthodox call each day of Holy Week Great or Passionate (Great Monday, Great Tuesday, and so on), but the fourth day is often referred to under another name - Maundy Thursday. This implies purity both in a figurative sense - on this day people think about internal cleansing - and literally. On Maundy Thursday, it is customary to carefully clean up the house (traditionally, you cannot clean up for six days after this), and in the evening, some people put a silver object in the water so that they can wash themselves with this water the next day. It is also customary to harvest salt on this day, as it is believed that it will have healing properties. It can be noted that many of the traditions of this day are more likely to be folk beliefs than prescriptions that go back directly to religious texts.
Good Friday is the day on which the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is remembered, and it is the most strict and mournful day of Lent. On this day, believers should avoid vain affairs as much as possible (except for those related to preparations for Easter) and devote as much time as possible to thoughts about the sacrifice that Christ made for the sake of people. On Friday, some people abstain completely from food until the time of the removal of the shroud at the service.
Holy Saturday is dedicated to memories of the burial and stay in the tomb of the body of Jesus Christ, as well as preparation for Easter - the Resurrection of Christ, which is celebrated on the night from Saturday to Sunday. On Friday it is customary to eat hot food without oil. On this day people eat hot food plant origin with vegetable oil.
In 2018, the Annunciation also falls on April 7 Holy Mother of God, one of the twelve main church holidays.
Although on all days of Holy Week believers should fast even more strictly than on other days of Lent, the clergy remind us every time that this tradition is designed to help a person focus not on the physical, but on the spiritual, and in this sense should not be an end in itself.
Before Easter you will have to celebrate Holy Week (we will tell you in the article what you can eat on the days before Easter). But what can you eat on a daily basis during this period?
Now we have to deal with this. For believers, this week is very important. During this period and until Easter, Christians pray and read the Bible. They remember Christ, who came to our Earth to cure us of various diseases, and left this world for our sins.
The fact is that throughout the week before Easter, not everything is allowed to be eaten. These 7 days are considered the strictest. From the first day to the seventh, every day is considered Great. During this important week, believers keep the strictest Fast.
Holy Week is a kind of memory of the last time of our savior and his terrible torment. During this week, people are rethinking their lives. Someone decides to repent, someone is simply in thought, and someone prays earnestly. This holy holiday means something different for everyone. This week the soul is cleansed of sinful thoughts. That is, abstinence occurs not only food, but also morally. During Holy Week you cannot be angry and swear - this is a great sin, just like eating meat with wine.
What not to do during Holy Week
Great Monday. We completed all repair work around the house, removed construction debris, and took out old, unnecessary things.
Great Tuesday. They finished repairing clothes, sewing, cutting, darning, ironing and the like. The meltwater collected this year was used to wash livestock to protect them from disease.
Great Wednesday. At night, from Tuesday to Wednesday, they took water from a river or well into a large jug or mug, and made the sign of the cross three times. At two o'clock in the morning they poured this water on themselves, leaving a little at the bottom, making the sign of the cross three times. Clean clothes were put on the wet body, and the remaining water was poured under a tree or bush. This meant the birth of a washed body and, according to signs, protected from illness for the whole year.
Maundy Thursday - or Maundy Thursday. Maundy Thursday falls on April 13th in 2017. Maundy Thursday or Maundy Thursday is the fourth day of Holy Week, the strictest week of Lent.
Swimming on Maundy Thursday has a symbolic meaning; on this day you need to wake up before sunrise and have time to swim.
It is believed that in this way, as in Epiphany bathing, a person washes away all his sins, and all ailments and illnesses will bypass him.
On Maundy Thursday you need to go to church for confession and communion. On this day, according to customs, it is customary to do things at home before Easter. general cleaning. It is after going to church on Maundy Thursday that you need to clean the house.
You need to clean very thoroughly, not superficially - you should wash all objects in the house, including the ceilings. There is a sign that if you clean your house well on Maundy Thursday, then the house will be clean for the entire next year. Again, cleanliness in the house will reflect the inner purity of the soul of a Christian believer.
In addition, it is necessary to wash all textiles and prepare traditional Easter food: Easter cakes and colored eggs.
Signs for Holy Week
It is on this day that you can get rid of many sins and improve your life. Following Easter signs and rituals, you can change your destiny for the better next year.
Here's what I know...
“If you want to be healthy all year round, be sure to take a swim before sunrise.” - Try it yourself and you will see that, indeed, this morning the water takes on wonderful healing properties. This water can wash away all the sins accumulated over the year.
Don’t indulge in laziness, but rather get up early on Maundy Thursday and wash yourself off in the shower, bath or bathhouse before dawn. If you cannot believe in the power of the magical Thursday water, then there will be no harm, cleanliness benefits everyone - both physical and mental.
There is a sure sign - if you do a spring cleaning on Maundy Thursday, you will receive a lot of joy for it.
In addition to the fact that the house will become clean, there is also such a religious element here that for six days after Maundy Thursday, religious people do not clean.
In addition, there is popular belief that when you start a general cleaning of the house, you receive as a gift from the Lord the opportunity to find what seemed to be forever lost beloved and necessary items.
From time immemorial it was believed that if during Maundy Thursday all the money in the house was counted three times, then it would not be transferred to the family during the year. Counting money should be done early in the morning, at noon and at sunset. This must be done in secret not only from strangers, but also from all members of your household. Only then from doing this ancient rite it will be good.
And here it is money conspiracy on Maundy Thursday. If you wash your doors and windows with water containing change, then throughout the year your monetary income will grow by leaps and bounds!
The words of the conspiracy that need to be said when throwing a bucket or basin of water into a handful of coins:
“Money, keep it going - don’t transfer it, grow it, multiply it, don’t get it from the enemy!”
and any other prayer that you know well. After all the doors and windows in your house have been washed, remove the change from the water and place it in a distant, but pre-washed, corner of your house or apartment for a week. Pour the water under any tree.
Place any silver item in a container of water overnight. And in the morning, on Good Friday, wash your face with this water, and for a year no evil spirits will be afraid of you.
If there is a baby in your house under the age of one year, then this procedure is especially indicated for him, since he cannot yet protect himself with the help of holy prayer. Therefore, we should take care of its protection.
Quarter salt can be prepared in two ways:
The first way: go to three neighbors or friends and ask them for a handful of salt, then mix it, preferably in a clay bowl, and use it as needed. They say that when added to the food and drink of a seriously and even terminally ill person, Thursday salt can help heal him.
The second way to prepare Thursday salt is this: pour a pack of salt into a frying pan and fry it, stirring constantly, while reading the “Our Father.” You will feel the readiness of the salt yourself.
Holy Week is the last week of Lent, a very significant period for Christians. Holy Week, translated from Church Slavonic, is “the week of suffering,” during which Christians pray intensely, intensify the feats of fasting, and remember the last days of the Savior’s earthly life, his suffering, painful death and burial.
The last week is especially revered by the Orthodox Church. Initially, most Christians did not celebrate Holy Sunday, but Good Friday, or Friday of the Cross.
The ancient Christians had many serious disputes about what day to celebrate Great Easter. The final decision was made by the First Ecumenical Council held in 326 AD. From this moment on, Christians celebrate this bright holiday on the Bright Resurrection of Christ.
Even in the time of John Chrysostom, who lived at the turn of the 3rd-4th centuries AD, Christians felt a great desire to be close to Jesus Christ during the last earthly days. Saint John described the exploits that people performed for the sake of their Lord during Holy Week. During these days, showing good behavior and mercy, Christians performed good deeds: they freed chained prisoners from shackles during Holy Week, were lenient towards the sick and holy fools, providing them with all kinds of help, and stopped litigation and disputes. They strove to do good deeds, becoming like their Lord, who suffered torment for the sake of people.
The Orthodox faith grew stronger and developed. Christians of all times continued to honor Holy Week in a special way. Thus, according to the description of contemporaries, the inhabitants of Rus' in the last week before Great Easter made great preparations for the celebration of the main holiday of the year. The common people called Holy Week differently: Great, Holy, Red, Red. The furniture and household utensils in the huts were thoroughly cleaned. The walls and stoves were whitewashed. In the second half of the week, we prepared food for the holiday, painted eggs, and made Easter cakes. Men restored broken household items and set up swings for festivities.
The loud human conversation fell silent - this was especially noticeable in the villages. There were people responsible for observing these rules. The Russians believed that it was during Holy Week that evil spirits of all kinds rejoiced at the suffering of Jesus and went on a wild rampage in their dirty deeds. Also, according to the traditions of the ancient Slavs, it was believed that on the eve of Great Easter the souls of deceased ancestors returned to earth to celebrate this event.
Holy Week by day
During Great Week, the days of remembrance of saints are not celebrated, the remembrance of the dead, the sacraments of marriage and baptism are not performed (as during the entire Lent). Believers mourn, and every day of Holy (Terrible) Week is dedicated to reflection on Christ and His teachings; certain rituals and customs are associated with each of these days.
All days of Holy Week are special, significant and holy in their own way. The Orthodox Church holds services on each of these great days. Every day, special services are held in churches with apostolic, prophetic, evangelical readings and rituals. Divine services of the first three days Passion Week passes solemnly and sadly; these days they lament the sinfulness of human nature. On Wednesday evening, such services, held with Lenten lament, end. Crying of a completely different nature begins. About the suffering and torment of Jesus Christ, who pays with himself for fallen humanity.
Each day of Holy Week is called Great or Passionate. These days we see how church ceremonies combined with folk signs. Holy Week is celebrated day by day as follows.
Maundy Monday
On this day, churches remember the Gospel story about how Jesus Christ cursed the barren fig tree. The tree symbolizes a person who does not bear spiritual fruit; one in whose heart there is no love for one’s neighbor and true repentance.
Returning after church service, our ancestors set about cleaning their homes - washing, scrubbing, scrubbing. People used to say: “Terrible Monday is coming to the yard - it’s sweeping willow all the way!” What does willow have to do with it? Yes, despite the fact that Palm Sunday was celebrated the day before. It was believed that willow branches, consecrated on this day in the church, were ways to cleanse the house of negative energy. Therefore, after doing the general cleaning, we finally made sure to go through all the corners with a willow broom to sweep away the unclean things.
And on Holy Monday they updated the interior: they whitewashed the walls in the rooms and painted them with flowers. Painted red poppies are not just favorite flowers, but also a symbol of the holy blood of Christ, which was shed long ago to atone for human sins.
After Forgiveness Sunday before Lent, observance begins strict regimes nutrition. You should eat food twice a day, limiting its volume.
Maundy Tuesday
On Tuesday, during services, parables about the faithful and unfaithful slaves, ten virgins, talents, and also about the Last Judgment are heard. All of them make us think about the fact that we must always be ready to meet God, and also show courage, ingenuity, do good and never lose heart.
And on this day our ancestors looked for places where the last snow had not yet melted, collected it and washed their domestic animals with melt water to protect them from various diseases. For the same purpose, at dawn, the living creatures were given cut (juiced) milk: flax and hemp seeds were ground in a mortar and diluted with water - the drink that saves from all ailments is ready!
Great Wednesday
In churches during sermons they compare the two life path: the repentant harlot Mary Magdalene, who believed in the power of goodness and repentance and accepted salvation, and Judas, who chose spiritual death.
On Holy Wednesday, our great-grandmothers performed a special magical ritual, which helped to get rid of any “bodily illness” and stay healthy all year.
Towards evening, one should go to a well or river and scoop up water with a mug. Then cross yourself three times, cover it with a clean or new towel, and at 2 am, having crossed yourself three times again, pour yourself over with this water, leaving a little in the mug. After such a procedure, clothes were put on the wet body without drying, and the water that remained was poured through the window into the bushes or flowers near the house (this had to be done before 3 a.m.). Our ancestors were sure that a body washed in this way seemed to be reborn.
Maundy Thursday
In churches, during services on Maundy Thursday, they remember one of the most important gospel events - the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, showing an example of brotherly love and humility.
According to the Gospel, at the Last Supper, Jesus Christ established the rite of the Eucharist - Holy Communion. Each liturgy on this day means the participation of those present in the temple in the Last Supper.
There are many traditions and customs associated with Maundy or Maundy Thursday. One of the most ancient is cleansing with water. On this day, our ancestors swam in a river, lake or steamed in a bathhouse. It was believed that this brings beauty and health. They washed small children and even... piglets so that they would be clean all year round. Water was again collected from wells and rivers, and at dawn silver and gold jewelry and coins were lowered into it to live in abundance and prosperity.
The girls cared about beauty: in order for their facial skin to become clean and smooth, they had to wash their face and throw the soap out the door at night.
The young beauties also knew one more secret: in order to get married successfully or enjoy the attention of other men, while swimming on Maundy Thursday they had to say: “As Maundy Thursday is bright and red, so I, slave ... (name), will be beautiful for everyone. Amen". After water procedures representatives of the fair sex cut the ends of their braids so that their hair was long and thick. By the way, it was on this day that a child’s hair was cut for the first time (cutting a baby’s hair before one year is a sin).
On Maundy Thursday they cleaned the house so that everything around was pleasing to the eye. After Thursday, cleaning the floor was prohibited (cleaning can only be done after Easter). Each housewife decorated her home with spring flowers.
Special beliefs are associated with Thursday salt. The pinch was wrapped in a piece of cloth and baked in the oven. Salt prepared in this way was considered purified by fire from filth (at the hands of Judas) and was endowed with healing properties.
Throughout the week, candles were bought in churches, which were called passionate and used for various rituals. So, on Maundy Thursday they burned crosses on doors and ceilings with the fire of a passionate candle - they believed that this would protect the house from evil spirits. Passionate candles were given into the hands of those who were seriously ill or suffering from difficult childbirth.
But the main thing on this day is to take care of the purity of thoughts and soul. Starting from Maundy Thursday, it was customary to prepare treats for the holiday: baking Easter cakes, Easter cakes, painting eggs.
Good Friday - day of mourning
Good Friday is coming. This is the most sorrowful day, a day of mourning. It was on Friday that Christ was handed over to the Jewish authorities. He made a religious procession to Golgotha, was crucified and, having accepted torment, died.
Work and entertainment are prohibited on Good Friday. Our ancestors sincerely believed: those who laugh on Friday will cry all year round. The strictest fast is observed, and in churches, as a sign of deep mourning, the bells stop ringing.
The terrible day is ending. With rays rising sun Saturday of Holy Week arrives.
Silent Saturday: waiting for the good news
Saturday is called Quiet Saturday, since the Lord at this time remains in the tomb and descends with his soul into hell in order to bring out the souls of the Old Testament righteous from there and proclaim victory over death. This is a day of sadness and anticipation of the main event - the Resurrection of Christ. It's time to put Easter cakes, Easter eggs, painted eggs and Easter eggs in the Easter basket. Other dishes are also placed there (boiled pork, homemade sausage). Be sure to take a candle or lamp with you.
Lent and Holy Week are ending, and the long-awaited and joyful holiday of the Resurrection of Christ is about to begin.
On Saturday, services begin early in the morning, continue until the end of the day and merge with the beginning of the solemn Easter matins.
Holy Week ends after Saturday - at midnight, when believers greet each other with the exclamation “Christ is risen!”, rejoicing at the arrival of the most important Christian holiday.
In the old days, people firmly believed that if you stay awake on the night from Saturday to Sunday, you will thereby protect yourself from diseases and ensure a good harvest.
Hurry up to do good deeds!
It has long been believed that good deeds performed during Holy Week contribute to liberation from sins and purification of the soul. On the eve of Easter, it was customary to collect donations to help those in need. They didn't forget about the animals. For example, during Holy Week, birds were ransomed from bird catchers in order to release God’s creatures to freedom.
Also on Easter, as usual, they helped poor families who did not have the means to properly celebrate the Solemnity of festivities - the Bright Resurrection of Christ.
What happened day by day during Holy Week can be read in detail in the four Gospels, plus, if a person goes to church on these days, then at the sermons after the service one can learn a lot of interesting things about those events, as well as gain a deeper understanding of their interpretation.
This strict week of fasting is dedicated to memories last days earthly life of the Savior, his suffering, crucifixion on the Cross, death and then burial. Each day of Holy Week is considered majestic and important. These days are perceived in Christianity as Divine holiday, which is illuminated by salvation through suffering and death. On these days there are no remembrance services, no prayers are sung, and no liturgy is held on Good Friday.
Since the time of the apostles, this week has been especially revered by Christians. At the very beginning, there was no long seven-week fast on the eve of the holiday, but strict fasting during Holy Week was established and strictly observed even then. This time, if you approach each day correctly, is filled with experiences, contemplation and sorrow.
What happened during the days of Holy Week
Maundy Monday
On this day they remember the Old Testament story about Patriarch Joseph the Beautiful. His brothers were jealous of him and sold him into slavery in Egypt, but Joseph was still able to live a good life and help the Egyptian people. Also on this day, they remember the withering that Jesus Christ spent on a fig tree covered with rich greenery. This plant has many leaves, but does not produce fruit.
In the same way, the scribes and Pharisees clearly presented their piety, but in fact they did not believe in the Lord and did not live according to the instructions of God. Likewise, the soul of a person who only outwardly believes will not bear spiritual fruit.
Maundy Tuesday
The Gospel records how on this day the Lord God Jesus Christ, already in Jerusalem, denounced the scribes and Pharisees. In the Jerusalem Temple, Jesus told parables and had conversations with ordinary people. He's a story about the future resurrection of the dead, about the Last Judgment.
Also on this day, Mary is remembered, who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. Judas on this day in the Jerusalem Temple showed great concern for the poor, revealing his compassion and already in the evening of that day he decided to sell Christ for thirty silver coins. At that time, with that kind of money it was only possible to buy a small piece of land near Jerusalem.
Great Wednesday
On this day of Passion Week, they remember the betrayal of Judas Iscariot. At the liturgy on this day, the prayer is said for the last time. St. Ephraim Sirina. It is believed that this is the prayer that the laity should read every day throughout Lent.
Maundy Thursday
People know that this Thursday is also called Thursday, and you can prepare Thursday salt. But what exactly gospel events are remembered on this day? The Last Supper took place - the last supper of Jesus with his disciples, where he spoke about the fact that betrayal had already been completed and his arrest would take place tomorrow.
Good Friday
The most terrible day is the trial of Jesus Christ, his crucifixion and death on Krsete. In the morning the 12th Gospel of the Holy Passion of Christ is read, in the evening the shroud is taken to the center of the temple. From this day until the end of the Easter service, according to strict church regulations, clergy must abstain from food.
Holy Saturday
Memories on this day are dedicated to the burial of Jesus Christ, his stay in the tomb. On this day, the soul of Jesus descended into hell to proclaim the victory of life over death and save sinful souls from suffering. Services begin early in the morning and continue throughout the day until Easter midnight.
These are the exact events that took place during Holy Week more than two thousand years ago, when the Savior lived and walked the earth, professed Christianity and gave people freedom from sins, hope for future life. During Holy Week, every Christian believer should try to lead a righteous life, give up entertainment, go to church or pray fervently at home. We hope that this period of fasting will be useful to you as a strong and correct spiritual preparation on the eve of the joyful holiday of Easter.
Alena Baltseva 03/31/2015 9548
We offer a chronology of the events of Holy Week - the last week before Easter.
Holy Week is the most important week of Lent, when believers remember the last days of the life of Jesus Christ on this earth. For the majority of the Christian world, which uses the Gregorian calendar, it has already arrived. In our area, where churches still celebrate holidays according to the Julian calendar, Holy Week will begin on April 25 and end with Easter on May 1.
It is called Holy Week because during it the “passion” (that is, suffering) of Jesus Christ occurred.
The suffering of Christ, His death and Resurrection is a key moment in Christianity, therefore believers treat the Great Week with special trepidation. If for you Easter is not just a reason to get together with your family over Easter cakes, but a holiday that you want to celebrate consciously, this article is for you.
We offer you a chronology of the Gospel events of Holy Week.
Palm Sunday, April 24
Even though Holy Week technically begins on Monday, it is worth mentioning Palm (or Palm) Sunday as the culminating turn of the last days of the life of Jesus Christ.
Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, fresco by Giotto, 14th century.
Events
On the last Sunday before Easter, believers celebrate the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. According to the Gospels, on this day Jesus Christ, together with his disciples, solemnly entered the main city for the Jews, sitting on a donkey. This fulfilled Old Testament prophecies and showed that he was entering in peace.
As the Gospel describes, the inhabitants of Jerusalem greeted Jesus Christ as the king and the long-awaited Messiah and covered the road in front of him with their clothes and palm branches. That is why Sunday was called Palm Sunday.
In our area, where palm trees simply do not grow, exotic leaves have been found a worthy replacement- willow branches that bloom just in time for Easter. It is customary on this day to come to church with a bouquet of twigs, bless them and keep them at home.
Maundy Monday, April 25
The first day of Holy Week, from which fasting becomes stricter.
The Curse of the Fig Tree, Book miniature from the Arabic Gospel of the 17th century.
Events
As the evangelists write, the day after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus curses the unfruitful fig tree. This story is remembered in the church as a warning to all Christians whose faith does not bear good fruit in the form of sincere repentance, love, and mercy.
On the same day, Christ mourns Jerusalem, foreseeing that the Jews will reject and kill Him. Afterwards, he drives away from the Jerusalem Temple the merchants who turned religious rites into profitable business, and the temple - into a “den of robbers”.
IN Orthodox churches on this day it is also customary to remember the Old Testament story about Joseph, who was sold by his brothers into slavery in Egypt, and as a result, from a servant he “grew” to right hand pharaoh and subsequently saved his family from hunger. Joseph is seen as a type of Christ who suffered for His people in order to save them.
Maundy Tuesday, April 26
Holy Tuesday. Sometimes called Clean Tuesday.
Wise and Foolish Virgins, Peter von Cornelius, 19th century.
Events
On Tuesday morning, the apostles notice that the cursed fig tree has dried up.
Christ preaches in the temple and denounces the priests and elders. Afterwards, alone with his disciples, he predicts the Apocalypse and His second coming.
On that day, Judas Iscariot plans to betray Christ.
On Tuesday of Holy Week, churches read the words of Christ spoken by Him in the Temple:
About tribute to Caesar (“to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s”).
- About the resurrection of the dead (“God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living”).
- About the most important commandment (“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength”; the second main commandment is “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”).
- Parable of the 10 virgins, etc.
Great Wednesday, April 27
Events
The events of this day are not described in the Gospel. On this day, Jesus did not appear in Jerusalem and was in its suburb - Bethany.
The Betrayal of Judas, Duccio, XIII century.
On this day, believers remember how Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ, for which he received 30 pieces of silver. It also recalls how one of Christ’s disciples, named Mary, anointed His feet with precious oil as an omen that He would soon die.
Maundy Thursday, April 28
Holy Thursday, Maundy Thursday, Maundy Thursday.
The Last Supper, fresco by Leonardo da Vinci, 15th century.
Events
Last Supper - Jesus celebrates the Jewish Passover (Passover) with the 12 Apostles: he washes their feet, establishes the sacrament of Communion, which has since been carried out in all Christian churches.
Judas Iscariot comes out to organize the arrest of Christ. Jesus and the remaining disciples go to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, where they ask the Father to deliver Him from death on the cross (“let this cup pass from Me”), but ultimately submits to His will. This moment is also called the struggle in Gethsemane and the prayer for the cup.
Judas betrays Christ with a kiss, who is immediately taken into custody.
The apostles run away in fear, only the Apostle Peter watches what is happening from afar, and as a result, during the night Peter denies Jesus three times, as He predicted.
In churches they read excerpts from the Gospel about the events of this day. Maundy Thursday was popularly called Clean Thursday, since on this day it was customary to do a general cleaning of the house on the eve of Easter and go to the bathhouse.
Good Friday, April 29
Carrying the Cross, Hieronymus Bosch, 15th century.
Events
The Judgment of Christ:
1. First interrogation- in front of priest Anna.
2. Second interrogation- before the Sanhedrin ( supreme court Jews) and the high priest Caiaphas.
3. Third interrogation- again before the Sanhedrin. Peter's denial. Christ is accused of blasphemy and sent to the Romans.
4. Fourth interrogation- before Pontius Pilate, prefect of Judea. Pilate does not find any crime behind Jesus and sends him to Herod, the ruler of Galilee.
5. Fifth interrogation- before Herod. Herod asks Christ to perform some miracle, but he does not answer him.
6. Sixth and final interrogation- again before Pilate.
- Jesus is beaten with whips.
- Pilate offers to release Christ at this point, but the crowd demands crucifixion.
- Pilate washes his hands and sends Christ to execution.
- Soldiers humiliate Christ and “crown” Him crown of thorns and they divide His clothes among themselves.
- Judas commits suicide.
- Jesus carries His cross to Calvary (around 9 am).
Denial of Peter, Karl Bloch, 19th century.
Jesus on the Cross
- A sign is hung on the cross of Jesus, where instead of the accusation it says “King of the Jews.”
- The crowd insults Christ. Jesus asks the Father to “forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
- Jesus promises the repentant thief crucified nearby that he will be with Him in paradise that same day.
- Jesus entrusts the care of His mother Mary to the Apostle John.
- At 3 o'clock in the afternoon it becomes dark.
- Jesus dies on the Cross.
- The curtain in the Temple, which separated the Holy of Holies, is torn in two (this is understood as a symbol of the change Old Testament New).
- An earthquake occurs. As described in the Gospels, the dead are resurrected and come out of their tombs.
- By sunset, the body of Christ is buried in a tomb, the entrance to which is blocked with a huge stone.
On Good Friday, believers adhere especially strict fasting. At church services on this day, the shroud is taken out, which symbolizes the fabric in which the body of Christ was wrapped. Some abstain completely from food until the Sabbath.
Holy Saturday, April 30
Holy Saturday, Greek icon
Events
All that is known from the Gospel about the events of this day is that the Jewish elders convinced the Romans to place a guard at the tomb of Jesus, fearing that the disciples would steal the body and announce the resurrection of the teacher.
On this day, Old Testament prophecies about Christ are read in churches. Easter cakes and eggs are also blessed.
Bright Resurrection of Christ, May 1
Easter, Resurrection of Christ.
Resurrection of Christ, fresco by Fra Angelico, 15th century.
Events
- Early in the morning, disciples of Christ (in Orthodox tradition they are called “myrrh-bearing women”, because They came to the tomb with ointment (embalming oil) and found His tomb empty. An angel announces to them the resurrection of Jesus.
- Christ appears to Mary Magdalene and instructs her to tell the apostles about His resurrection.
- Jesus appears to two disciples on the road to Emmaus.
- Christ appears to the astonished disciples (Thomas, who would later be called the unbeliever, was not with them then).
Easter is the central holiday in Christianity. Its onset begins to be celebrated on the evening of Holy Saturday. And the traditions of celebration (baptizing Christ, exchanging eggs, etc.) are already familiar to you.
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