Easter Days and customs
The names of many of the days in the Christian calendar have their origin in ancient times, as Len Langan explains.
Easter tells the story of Jesus' last days in Jerusalem before his death on the cross. Yes, the word 'Easter' dates back to pre-Christian times, but for us it is the most important and sacred festival in our church calendar. We mourn the death of Christ thinking of the agony of his sacrifice, as we rejoice in his resurrection attesting to God's eternal love for us.
The days leading up to this glorious Christian festival have names that are of great significance for us on our Christian journeys.
Shrove Tuesday: The last three or four days before Lent were once known as Shrovetide and included Egg Saturday, Quinguagesima Sunday, Collup Monday (on which all meat in the larder had to be used up), and Shrove Tuesday (on which all fat and cream products had to be used up). The word 'Shrove' comes from Old English meaning 'to shrive' or confess.
Ash Wednesday: Six and a half weeks before Easter was a time for confession. Ashes were a symbol for sorrow and Christians rubbed ashes into their foreheads as a mark of repentance. These ashes were often made from the Palm Crosses kept from the previous year and burnt for this purpose by the priests. Ashwood twigs were often used.
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts for forty days ending on the day often known now as Easter Saturday. Lent symbolises the forty years the Israelites spent in the desert and the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness.
Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday marks the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem.
Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday is the day in remembrance of the Last Supper and the betrayal by Judas. Maundy comes from the Latin 'maundatum' or 'command' (mandate) recalling Christ's words, 'And now I give you a new commandment; love one another as I have loved you.' It recalls Jesus' washing his disciple's feet and was a custom followed by English monarchs until 1689.
Good Friday: The date for the first Good Friday cannot be known; the point is academic. The Anglo-Saxon name for this day was 'Long Friday' signifying the long fast that this day imposed. 'Good Friday' comes to us from God's Friday, but it is known as 'good' because the barrier of sin was removed, granting us eternal salvation.
Easter Saturday was once known as Easter Even or Holy Saturday. The 1549 Prayer Book refers to it as 'Easter Even'. This day was the Sabbath and the day Jesus rested in His tomb. In the early church this was a special day of fasting and vigil to celebrate the Resurrection. The Easter vigil is traditionally celebrated with a wax candle marked with the signs of Alpha and Omega and bearing the date of the year. Sometimes five nails are pressed into the wax representing the five wounds of Christ. To be correct, Easter Saturday is the Saturday after Easter, although due to common usage this point also seems academic.
Len Langan belongs to the Parish of Christ Church, Longford.