DATE / TIME 04/13/2017 00:00
Map Unavailable

Date(s) - 13/04/2017
All Day



It commemorates Jesus’ last supper with his disciples and the institution of the Lord’s Supper and established the ceremony known as the Eucharist.

In Spain, it is generally a public holiday in all regions apart from Catalonia.


Holy Thursday is called Maundy Thursday from the old Latin name for the day, “Dies Mandatum,” i.e. “the day of the new commandment” referring to the command given by Christ at the Last Supper, that we should love one another, before he washed the feet of his disciples.

Preceding Good Friday, it also played a role in rural customs. A popular assumptions is that it is called “green” Thursday because of the green vegetables, people eat on this Fastday, spinach being a favorite. In Germany, the tradition is to eat a big fresh salad.

Catholic churches do not ring their bells, they fall silent until Easter. The place of the bells is taken by rattles and other noisemakers, which call the faithful to service. “The bells have flown to Rome,” people would say.

In the United Kingdom, the tradition of the sovereign giving alms to the poor on Maundy Thursday stretches back to at least the 12th Century and there are continuous records from the reign of King Edward 1. From the middle ages, the number of recipients mirrors the sovereign’s years. In 2013, Queen Elizabeth II, 87, will present Maundy Thursday alms purses to 174 people – 87 men and 87 women.

From about 600 AD St Augustine noted the ceremony also involved the king, queen or their representative washing the feet of the poor. This foot washing tradition continued until the 18th Century. Even today nosegays or posies are still carried in the royal procession – a reminder of when foot odour needed disguising!
