Easter is coming soon, and with it other Christian holidays: Palm Sunday, Holy Week, Maundy Thursday – where do these days come from and what are we celebrating?
Palm Sunday (April 2) marks the start of Holy Week, when Christians remember Jesus’ death on the cross. Palm Sunday celebrates the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, which marked the beginning of his sufferings. According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus rode into the city on a donkey and was received by the people with jubilation – people spread their clothes before him and laid green branches on the way, namely palm branches, according to the Gospel of John.
Holy Week
Holy Week is a preparation for Easter, the oldest and most important holiday in Christianity. On Maundy Thursday, the eve of Good Friday, the ministers take communion in memory of Jesus’ last meal with the disciples before his death. On the other hand, during the Easter Vigil, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
According to the New Testament, Jesus spent Good Friday night in agony while his disciples slept. This is reminiscent of the name “Green Thursday”. It does not come from the color green, but probably from Old High German “Grunen”, which means “to cry” or “to cry”. The name Holy Week also probably comes from Old High German. “Kara” means “weeping”, “mourning”, which is the main theme of worship on the day of Jesus’ death (Good Friday).
Death and resurrection are one
Today, in all Christian denominations, it is widely accepted that the death and resurrection of Christ at Easter are inextricably linked to each other and are celebrated as a whole. In many churches, services are held at 3:00 p.m. on Good Friday, according to tradition, at the time of Jesus’ death. Holy Saturday celebrates the burial of Jesus.
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