Holy Thursday
noun
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Origin of Holy Thursday
Words nearby Holy Thursday
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What is Holy Thursday?
Holy Thursday is the day on which Christians commemorate Jesus’s Last Supper. It’s the day before Good Friday, which marks Jesus’s crucifixion and death.
Holy Thursday is the Thursday of Holy Week, which is the week before Easter, from Palm Sunday to Holy Saturday. On Easter, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.
In the U.K. and some other places, Holy Thursday is called Maundy Thursday.
Holy Thursday is also sometimes used as another name for Ascension Day, the 40th day after Easter, but this is much less common.
When is Holy Thursday?
In 2021, Holy Thursday falls on April 1. In 2022, it falls on April 14.
Holy Thursday is always the Thursday before Easter, but Easter moves every year. This means that Holy Thursday can fall anytime between March 19 and April 22.
In the Orthodox Church, the date of Easter is calculated in a different way.
In 2021, the Orthodox Church will observe Holy Thursday on April 29. In 2022, the Orthodox Church will observe Holy Thursday on April 21.
When Holy Thursday refers to Ascension Day, it’s the 40th day after Easter. In 2021, Ascension Day is on May 13. In 2022, Ascension Day is on May 26. In the Orthodox Church, Ascension Day falls on June 10 in 2021 and on June 2 in 2022.
More information and context on Holy Thursday
The first records of the term Holy Thursday come from the 1100s.
The Holy Thursday of Holy Week commemorates the Last Supper, which is the basis of the Christian ritual variously celebrated as Communion or Eucharist. According to biblical accounts of the Last Supper, it was also when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples.
The Maundy in Maundy Thursday comes from the Latin mandātum, meaning “command” or “mandate,” a reference to the “new commandment” that Jesus gave to his disciples after washing their feet: “Love one another, as I have loved you.”
Because Ascension Day always occurs on a Thursday (the 40th day after Easter), it is also sometimes called Holy Thursday. Christians observe Ascension Day as the day that they believe Jesus ascended into heaven.
What are some terms that often get used in discussing Holy Thursday?
How is Holy Thursday discussed in real life?
Holy Thursday is especially associated with the Last Supper.
On Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday, Christians commemorate the day on which Jesus Christ shared the Last Supper with his 12 apostles, prior to his crucifixion. Jesus is believed to have washed the disciples' feet in order to demonstrate the importance of serving others. pic.twitter.com/AFRnSj0kvE
— Catholic Education Foundation-Sydney (@CEFSyd) April 8, 2020
Happy Holy Thursday, Feast of the Last Supper. John: “I give you a new commandment, says the Lord: love one another as I have loved you”. Let us break bread with others and understand we share more in common than divide us. Love heals.
— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) March 29, 2018
Holy Week Schedule at St. Stephen Chapel:
+Holy Thursday Mass 7pm
+Good Friday Passion of the Lord 5:30pm
+Easter Sunday Mass 10am#Jesus— St. Stephen's Chapel (@receivemyspirit) March 26, 2015
Try using Holy Thursday!
True or False?
The name Holy Thursday can refer to two different days.