Maundy Thursday? Good Friday? What the days leading up to Easter are called and mean

Megan Cardona
·2 min read

Each year Easter falls on a different Sunday than it did the previous year. Easter 2022 is this Sunday, April 17, and Orthodox Easter is on April 24.

Easter, a Christian holiday, is a “movable feast” meaning the day does not have to fall on the same day each year as opposed to a fixed holiday like Christmas.

The days before Easter Sunday are also celebrated by Christian institutions, including Orthodox Christians, commemorating the days leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Here’s what each day means and a look at why Easter and Orthodox Easter are on different days.

What is Maundy Thursday?

Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, takes place on the Thursday before Easter Sunday. In the Christian faith, Holy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper of Christ.

Maundy is used in reference to a ritual foot washing.

In Maundy Thursday ceremonies, a foot washing ritual takes place in remembrance of Christ washing his 12 disciples’ feet at the Last Supper as a sign of hospitality and purification.

Washing of the feet is a ritual performed during Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, services.
Washing of the feet is a ritual performed during Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, services.

What is Good Friday?

Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday. The day commemorates the crucifixion of Christ, who is believed in the Christian faith to have died for the sins of humanity.

The day is also known as Great Friday and Holy Friday.

What is Holy Saturday?

The day before Easter Sunday is Holy Saturday, a day Christians remember the entombment of Christ.

Holy Saturday is also known as Great Saturday and the Easter Vigil.

Why are Easter and Orthodox Easter on separate days?

Western Christianity celebrates their Easter usually one to two weeks ahead of Eastern Christianity’s Orthodox Easter.

This is due to the difference in calendar years used by the faiths. Christians use the Gregorian Calendar meaning their Easter falls on a Sunday within March 22 and April 25. The Gregorian calendar was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 based on reformation of the vernal equinox.

Orthodox Christians use the Julian Calendar, which is about 13 days longer than the Gregorian Calendar. The Julian Calendar was started by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C. basing the calendar off the sun.