Maundy Thursday
When is it celebrated
Maundy Thursday is celebrated on the Thursday before Easter Sunday, three days before this if you count the dates of the civil calendar. It is part of Holy Week and does not have a fixed Gregorian date: it changes every year along with Easter, usually between March and April. Therefore, its specific date must be checked in the calendar of the corresponding year.
Is it a holiday or a working day?
Spanish regulations include Holy Thursday among the national public holidays that the autonomous communities can maintain or replace with another holiday of their own. When it appears in the territory's calendar it is a non-working day, paid and non-recoverable; It should not be considered a holiday uniformly throughout Spain without consulting the official resolution of public holidays of each year and autonomous community.
Origin and geographical link
It is a Christian commemoration spread internationally. In Spain it is linked both to the Catholic liturgy and to the numerous local Holy Weeks, with its own expressions in cities and towns. Its labour status comes from the state calendar, although the decision to keep it as a holiday is specified territorially.
Regular events
In Catholic churches, the mass of the Lord's Supper is celebrated in the afternoon, which opens the Easter Triduum; It includes the memory of the Last Supper and can incorporate the washing of the feet. Afterwards, the Blessed Sacrament is reserved for adoration. In many Spanish towns there are also penitence stations, processions, Passion performances and visits to monuments, with different programmes according to each brotherhood and municipality.
Usual duration of events
The liturgical celebration itself occupies the afternoon and evening of Thursday, and links with the Easter Triduum, which continues during Good Friday and Holy Saturday until Easter. The processions can last several hours and, in some places, extend into the night or early morning; The schedules and routes depend on the annual programme and may change for organizational or meteorological reasons.
Traditions and history
Christian tradition remembers the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples and relates this day to the Eucharist, service and brotherly love. The washing of the feet reproduces the evangelical gesture of service, while the Eucharistic reserve and adoration follow the evening mass. In Spain, these religious practices coexist with a processional heritage developed by brotherhoods and brotherhoods, whose images, music and customs vary significantly between territories.
Where is it celebrated
It is commemorated in churches and Christian communities in numerous countries. In Spain, the services take place in cathedrals, parishes, convents and other temples; The processions travel through streets and squares according to local itineraries. Some cities, such as Seville, Granada, Burgos or Calahorra, have Maundy Thursday events of special relevance, but there is no single national programme.
Who participates
Bishops, priests, parish communities and faithful participate in liturgical acts. Street celebrations involve brotherhoods and brotherhoods, Nazarenes, costaleros or bearers, music bands, organisation and public services personnel, as well as the resident and visiting public. The composition and name of these groups depends on the tradition of each locality.