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What to do and what not to do on Maundy Thursday. What do Orthodox Christians do on Maundy Thursday before Easter?

In the last week of Lent before Easter, Thursday is called Clean Thursday. What date is Maundy Thursday in 2019? April 25, 2019 at Orthodox calendar Marked Maundy Thursday. What can you do on April 25 on Maundy Thursday, what needs to be done on this important day according to church canons on the eve of the Holy Resurrection of Christ in order to properly prepare for the Great Holiday?

Maundy Thursday is the last Thursday before Orthodox Easter. The number of Maundy Thursday in 2019, the date of the holiday Maundy Thursday 2019 falls on Holy Week. Significant for Christian believers refers to the moving date, including the date of Maundy Thursday, 2019, changes from year to year, determine exact number celebrating the celebration is simple if you know when the Holy Resurrection of Christ is.

Orthodox Christians will celebrate April 28. On April 25, 2019, Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday. Great Week is considered special in the life of every Christian believer. The last week of Great Lent falls last days earthly life of Jesus Christ.

Razgadamus considers it educational. Maundy Thursday in Christianity is also called Maundy Thursday, Holy Thursday, Maundy Thursday. In Orthodoxy it is believed that on the fourth day last week During Great Lent you can cleanse yourself of sins spiritually, cleanse your soul and body. This day is significant for several important events: the Last Supper, at which Christ established the sacrament of the Eucharist, the betrayal of Judas, and the reading of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane of Jesus Christ to God his Father.

The word Eucharist translated from Greek means good, respect, veneration and sacrament; it is a church term used by Catholics and Orthodox Christians. The Eucharist or Holy Communion is a religious ceremony of consecrating bread and wine in a special way. By consuming consecrated bread and wine during communion in church, Christians have the opportunity to unite with God in Christ, join the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, and gain eternal life and salvation.

When is Maundy Thursday in 2019?

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Maundy Thursday in 2019 falls on April 25 - this is the fourth day of Holy Week, called Pure and Great. Each of the days of Holy Week is endowed with a special meaning:

  • Thursday is the day of the Last Supper, where all 12 apostles and Jesus Christ gathered, at the beginning of which the Savior washed the feet of His disciples;
  • The fourth day of Great Week, when Christ broke bread and gave wine to his followers, after which the sacrament of the Eucharist appeared;
  • Thursday is the day when Judas decided to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver;
  • The day when Christ asked His Father, prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, knowing about His imminent death and asking Him for mercy.

Thursday is a key day, the last one before the arrest of Christ. On Thursday evening, the Savior gathered His disciples for the Supper before celebrating the Jewish Passover on Saturday. On the same day, Jesus predicts His suffering, crucifixion, death and names His betrayer. Judas catches the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane, after the Last Supper, while reading a prayer, where Christ was arrested.

Church celebration of Holy Thursday

The church celebration of Maundy Thursday is associated with the memories of the Last Supper, after which it became firmly established in Orthodoxy. Holy Communion(Eucharist). Every Christian believer comes to church on this day for worship and Communion.

In memory of the true service to one's neighbor, which Jesus showed to his disciples when he washed the feet of each of His followers, the rite of foot washing is performed during the service on Maundy Thursday in churches and cathedrals. According to church canons, the bishop washes the feet of 12 priests.

Churches hold services dedicated to these important events that led to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. During the service, the priests remind parishioners about the Great Sacrifice, that every Christian, through the sacrifice made by the Savior, is given immortal life and salvation.

Maundy Thursday traditions

According to tradition, Christians consider Holy Thursday the day of cleaning their house before the celebration of the Holy Resurrection of Christ. We must remember that, along with cleaning the house, we should not forget about spiritual purity, participate in worship, and honor the holiness of this Great Day.

Orthodox traditions and signs for Maundy Thursday, celebrated in 2019, preserved to this day, are observed by the majority of believers, many of them echo the traditions of the Jews before the celebration.

The house and the surrounding area were carefully cleaned by our ancestors, the inside of the home was washed, the clothes were washed, unnecessary things were taken out of all the closets and distributed to the poor. All the dirty work had to be completed so that on Friday and Saturday - the most difficult days of Christ's suffering - free time prayer.

Maundy Thursday: what to do

What should you do on Maundy Thursday? You need to visit the temple, clean the house. On this day you can and should bake, paint eggs, and prepare Easter cottage cheese. You cannot eat food prepared for Sunday. You can eat Easter cakes and colored eggs only after the end of Lent, the blessing of Easter cakes and eggs in church - not before Easter.

A mandatory ritual on this day was and is considered to be washing in the river or bathhouse. The washing of the body must occur with, on a par with the washing of the soul, a person must rid himself of anger, resentment, everything negative, cleanse himself with soul and body before the Great Resurrection of Christ.

Maundy Thursday is the fourth day of Holy Week, associated with many traditions and customs. In order to properly prepare for Easter, it is important to know what activities are welcome on this day, and what the church advises to abstain from.

On church service on Maundy Thursday we remember major events Gospel story: It was on this day that the Last Supper took place, at which the Savior established the Sacrament of Communion, dividing bread among his disciples, and also predicted the fatal betrayal of Judas. In addition, the Son of God washed the apostles’ feet, setting an example of love for mankind, humility and selfless service to one’s neighbor. This is one of the reasons why Thursday of Holy Week was called “Clean”. Since then, a special ritual has been performed in churches during the liturgy: in memory of the great event, the bishop symbolically washes the feet of twelve clergy.

There is an opinion that it is precisely because of this that the tradition arose among the people to carry out general cleaning before Easter on Maundy Thursday. However, physical cleansing is far from the most important thing that needs to be done on this day. After all, every day of Holy Week is aimed at spiritual cleansing, and this is precisely what should be given Special attention. Every task on Maundy Thursday must be approached with prayer and joy in the heart.

What you can do on Maundy Thursday

According to tradition, Maundy Thursday is welcomed early rise: you need to get up before sunrise and rinse the body clean water . It is believed that water on this day, just like on Epiphany, is endowed with special power: it is able to expel illnesses and illnesses from the body, “wash away” failures and protect from troubles. In ancient times, on Maundy Thursday they washed themselves with water infused with silver: people believed that the noble metal enhanced its amazing properties.

After ablution they begin to cleaning the house: this is the main stage of preparing your home for the Holy Resurrection of Christ. Exists folk custom wash window openings, doors and floors with “money” water: throw a handful of coins into a filled basin, and then thoroughly rinse every corner so that well-being and prosperity do not bypass your home. For the same purpose, they get rid of the trash that has accumulated over the year: by going through things and throwing away everything that has become unusable, you open up space for something new.

On Maundy Thursday you can start preparing Easter dishes: bake Easter cakes, paint and paint eggs, prepare ingredients for other holiday treats.

On the fourth day of Holy Week you can make Thursday salt- a special amulet that, according to popular belief, will protect household members from adversity, illness and trouble. This is a long-standing custom that has not lost its relevance in our time.

And, of course, one of the most important things for every believer on this day is temple visit. Orthodox take the sacrament of communion, cleansing the soul from sins, because this is precisely the main meaning of Maundy Thursday.

What not to do on Maundy Thursday

On Maundy Thursday, under no circumstances you can't leave the house dirty: according to popular belief, if you ignore cleaning on this day, there will be no harmony and peace in the family for the entire next year. It is even prohibited start preparing Easter food until the house is cleaned.

It is forbidden take a sample from holiday dishes even during preparation: on the fourth day of Holy Week, a particularly strict fast continues, which is forbidden to break unless relaxation is allowed due to health reasons. You can read more about how to fast during Holy Week on our website.

There is a belief that giving away something of value or lending money to someone on this day, you can deprive yourself of financial luck for the whole year. Therefore, you should refrain from such actions.

The church also calls not to forget that spiritual cleansing is paramount on Maundy Thursday, so you shouldn’t pay excessive attention to worldly affairs to the detriment of prayers and spiritual work.

Correct behavior during Holy Week is an integral part of preparation for Easter. Celebrate this bright holiday with a pure soul and an open heart. We wish you well-being and happiness, and do not forget to press the buttons and



The Fourth Great Day of Holy Week is the Pure Four, even those who are far from religion associate this day with various rituals, traditions, and call such a day “bath”. This is not surprising, because the main tradition for Pure Fours is. Those who still try to follow church canons are wondering when to wash on Maundy Thursday before Easter: in the morning or in the evening? Let's consider this ritual, how to perform it correctly and when to do it.

Maundy Thursday and important traditions

If we turn to history, it was on the Pure Four that the Last Supper took place, when Jesus, knowing that one of his disciples would betray him, said goodbye to them special ritual– washed everyone’s feet. This is how he showed his humility, forgiveness and love. Therefore, one of the most important rituals on this day is bathing and washing.




It is believed that on Maundy Thursday you can cleanse your soul and body, and help your life improve (it doesn’t matter what aspect of life needs improvement). In addition to swimming, there are other common traditions and rituals on this day:

Communion in church and confession;
Total house cleaning;
Preparation of Thursday salt;
Baking Easter cakes and preparing food for the festive meal on the occasion of Easter.

When to swim on Maundy Thursday

Popular wisdom says: “If you want to live in health all year, take a swim on Maundy Thursday before the sun appears on the horizon.” This morning, the water acquires unique healing properties, you will feel vigor, health, and strength. With this water you can wash away all your sins that have accumulated throughout the year.

The best time to swim is in Maundy Thursday early in the morning, and even better if it’s a trip to the bathhouse. Of course, in modern conditions This is not always possible, so taking a hot bath with foam and soap is also welcome. At the same time, while washing, you need to think about something good, positive so that bad emotions do not interfere with the cleansing process.

Is it possible or not to swim in the evening and at night? Despite the fact that it is better to start your day with a swim on Maundy Thursday, you can swim in the evening, at any time, the main thing is to do it immediately before bed. Even if this evening ritual will be performed not for the healing properties of water, but to cleanse the spirit and body, and also as respect for traditions.

Another important nuance, which should be stipulated, is that you need to bathe or wash yourself on Maundy Thursday for a reason, but with prayers in special spell words. The following words should be pronounced:




Holy Scripture says that one must pray on Maundy Thursday not only during ablutions, but also when performing any task, and there will be quite a few of them on Maundy Thursday. Everything on this day should be done with great love in the heart, with joy, good thoughts. After all, Easter is coming, which means you need to cleanse yourself of all negativity, and this is only possible through intense and sincere prayers.

So when is the best time to wash before Easter on Maundy Thursday? In the morning it’s best, but in the evening it’s also possible, so don’t be upset, the main thing is to approach the matter with good intentions and sincere faith, then there will be no difference between the two procedures.

Communion and Confession on Maundy Thursday

After the literal cleansing of body and spirit, you should “consolidate” the result by going to church for communion and confession. It is important to take into account here that if you have not observed the entire period of Lent, then before communion you need to fast for several days, you can start on Holy Monday. Only on Maundy Thursday can you pray away even those sins that are considered mortal.




Again, without communion and confession there will be no complete cleansing, which means that a person is not ready for Great Easter.

Maundy Thursday is an important and special day for religious people; it is actually the last stage of Lent, the last stage of preparation for the holiday. The rituals that are customary to be performed on Maundy Thursday are valid only on this day.

Holy Week is the strictest period of fasting of the year, each day of which is associated with a specific event. What do Christians do on Maundy Thursday before Easter and how to spend this day?

On this day, the Last Supper is remembered, at the beginning of which Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. Hence the name of this day - Maundy Thursday. How do pious Orthodox Christians spend this day? According to tradition, people prepare for Easter and devote the bulk of the day to thorough cleaning. It is clear that a very strict fast is envisaged; it is very good to take communion on Maundy Thursday - after all, it was on this day that the sacrament of the Eucharist (communion) arose. A very beautiful service on Maundy Thursday, accompanied by the ritual of washing the feet.

According to tradition, on Wednesday evening Orthodox Christians go to evening service and confess. Early in the morning, after reading all the canons and following the communion, people get up before dawn and wash or bathe. After this, they go to the service without breakfast and take communion. After the service, the priest washes the feet of the 12 parishioners who have received communion. The service is quite long, but beautiful, with the singing of antiphons and ringing bells. After the service, you can already have a snack with lean foods; the laity are allowed warm food without oil.

Customs and superstitions

What do unscrupulous sinners do on Maundy Thursday before Easter? That's right, they are engaged in various nonsense, which the church recognizes as sinful and pagan. Make “Thursday salt”, amulets, read incantations, rub yourself with ash, tell fortunes - terrible sin and sacrilege. Jokes with evil spirits on this day are fraught with the worst consequences, so you should not engage in such things. Any priest can confirm this, but in general it is absolutely understandable. On Maundy Thursday, engaging in all sorts of dirt is dishonorable and stupid.

And how nice it is to come from church with a peaceful spirit, eat modest food without TV and, slowly, start cleaning and preparing for Easter. On Maundy Thursday you can already start buying groceries or baking Easter cakes if you don’t have time for this on other days.

Also on Maundy Thursday it is very good for communion, since on Easter it will be very difficult to receive communion - there are a lot of people, and not everyone will be allowed in. So smart and pious people even take time off from work on this day.

If you can’t go to church on this day, then you should at least try to tidy up and not sin. At least to a minimum, do not drink, do not smoke, do not swear, and do not engage in any obscenity.



Pure Four is the fourth day of Holy Week. This day is associated with a lot of troubles and tasks that must be completed during the day. What exactly should you do on Maundy Thursday before Easter? Consider mandatory list affairs, in their priority sequence, so as not to forget anything and properly prepare yourself and your home for the bright holiday of Easter.

Briefly about the meaning of Maundy Thursday

To understand why one should do what can already be called a tradition on Maundy Thursday, one should turn to the history and meaning of this holiday.

During the service in the temple on this day, they remember the Last Supper, during which the Savior of mankind predicted that he would be betrayed by one of his disciples, and also established the Sacrament of Baptism, dividing bread (from my flesh) and wine (from my blood) between apostles. Also, at the Last Supper, Jesus washed the feet of each apostle, showing an example of virtue, humility and selflessness. Partly, it is because of this act (washing the feet) that Maundy Thursday is usually called Clean Four.




It is believed that on Maundy Thursday one must not only cleanse one’s soul with prayers and the ritual of washing, but also put one’s home in order. Any action on this day should be treated as a step towards complete healing of the soul from evil, and all actions should be performed with joy and reading prayers.

What to do on Maundy Thursday

Since the day ahead is troublesome, you should wake up early. The first thing after waking up is to wash your face or bathe with soap; it is believed that water on Maundy Thursday (especially in the early morning) is endowed with healing powers. With its help, as with Epiphany water, you can heal ailments, strengthen your immune system, and attract good luck to your life.

When all bath procedures are completed, you need to start spring cleaning house, yard and barn (if we are talking about private housing). One of the signs says that you need to wash windows and frames with water charged with money: to do this, you need to immerse coins in a basin of water, and then wash every corner of the window, every crevice with such water, so that wealth can easily enter the house and not leave it. .




In addition to the fact that you need to wash the windows and frames, you should take care of every corner of the house: remove junk from cabinets and shelves, throw out spoiled food from the refrigerator, wipe off dust, polish the floor. If there is something unfinished in the house renovation work, then on Maundy Thursday they must be brought to mind.

After cleaning, the housewives began cooking. They should be baked on Maundy Thursday; it is believed that they will not spoil until Easter and will remain fresh and soft. You should knead the dough and read a prayer, then the traditional Easter treat will turn out lush, tender and very tasty. Also, you should go to the store and buy groceries for festive table For Easter, be sure to buy eggs for coloring.




If we talk about chores in the kitchen, then it is worth mentioning such a tradition as preparing Thursday salt. Despite the fact that it is usually prepared in monasteries, some housewives also want to have such salt in the house for personal use. It is believed that Thursday salt endowed not only with healing powers, but also with magical powers. Therefore, it is used both to treat ailments and to remove damage, the evil eye, and for love spells. But such use of salt is not welcomed by the church, since it is all considered relics of paganism (except, of course, for the use of salt for medicinal purposes).

And the final important thing on Maundy Thursday is visiting the temple. It is advisable to take communion and confession in church. This is necessary in order to completely cleanse the spirit and body, because only on Maundy Thursday can one pray for all sins, even mortal ones.




What is forbidden to do on Maundy Thursday

Many prohibitions on this day are directly related to what must be done. For example, you should not leave your house uncleaned. It is believed that if you are lazy and do not put your house in order, then quarrels and misunderstandings will reign there for a year. You can't even start cooking until the house is cleaned. That is why the sequence of actions on Maundy Thursday is as we described above.

In addition, despite the fact that on this day it is customary to prepare treats for the Easter table, you cannot try the dishes, because Lent continues, and to break it means to undo all your efforts in the past. In addition, Holy Week is the strictest week of fasting. Of course, if a person cannot fast due to health reasons, he is allowed to relax.

Also, in Pure Fours you cannot lend anything, since financial well-being can leave the house for the whole year. It’s not just money you can’t lend, this also applies to any things or objects.

According to the church canon, on Maundy Thursday one must pray intensely, and therefore the church recommends not to get too involved in worldly affairs if they interfere with prayers.

Knowing what you can do on Maundy Thursday, you can adequately prepare for Holy Easter, because this is almost the final stage.