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Maundy Thursday

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noun
the Thursday of Holy Week, commemorating Jesus' Last Supper and His washing of the disciples' feet upon that day.
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Origin of Maundy Thursday

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Words nearby Maundy Thursday

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT MAUNDY THURSDAY

What is Maundy Thursday?

Maundy Thursday is another name for Holy Thursday—the day on which Christians commemorate Jesus’s Last Supper. It’s the day before Good Friday, which marks Jesus’s crucifixion and death. The name Maundy Thursday is used In the U.K. and some other places.

Maundy 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.

When is Maundy Thursday?

In 2023, Maundy Thursday falls on April 6. In 2024, it falls on March 28.

Maundy Thursday is always the Thursday before Easter, but Easter moves every year. This means that Maundy Thursday can fall anytime between March 19 and April 22.

Why is it called Maundy Thursday?

The first records of the term Maundy Thursday come from the 1400s. Maundy Thursday 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.”

In Britain, it is a Maundy Thursday tradition for the Queen (or King, when there is one) to give out pouches of coins called Maundy money.

What are some terms that often get used in discussing Maundy Thursday?

How is Maundy Thursday discussed in real life?

The name Maundy Thursday is most commonly used in the U.K.

 

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Maundy Thursday is celebrated on the same date every year.

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British Dictionary definitions for Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday

noun
Christianity the Thursday before Easter observed as a commemoration of the Last Supper
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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