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Easter: Why is it called Maundy Thursday? – FOCUS online
Meaning & Customs: Easter: Why is it called Maundy Thursday?
It is not clear why it is called Maundy Thursday. There are several explanations for the name of the Thursday before Good Friday.
There are several possible explanations as to how Maundy Thursday got its name. One of them goes back to the meaning of Easter, namely the crucifixion of Jesus after betrayal by a disciple and the resurrection after death.
Why is the Thursday before Easter called Maundy Thursday?
- It is possible that the name Maundy Thursday derives from the Middle High German word “grînen,” which means grieving or crying. On the day before Good Friday, Jesus Christ celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples. In the evening he was betrayed by Judas Iscariot. That’s why there was a lot of crying that day.
- Another explanation goes back to the Latin word “virides,” which translates as “the Greens.” This is what the penitents were called in the Middle Ages who were accepted back into the church community after Lent and the church penitential decree on the day before Good Friday. They were called “Greens” because the liturgical color green represents fresh, renewed and sinless.
- Finally, there is the theory that Maundy Thursday gets its name from customs of eating green vegetables and green spring herbs on this day of Holy Week. Even today, spinach is still a typical vegetable that many Christian families celebrate on Maundy Thursday Easter comes to the table.
- In contrast to Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, Maundy Thursday is not an official nationwide holiday in Germany. In some countries, such as Denmark, Norway or Iceland, employees also have Maundy Thursday off, which is considered a public holiday.
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