Maundy Thursday 2025: How 'Maundy' Got Its Name; A Historical Insight

Maundy Thursday is one of the celebrations in the holy week of Good Friday. This day is remembered for the Last Supper that Jesus had with his disciples before his crucifixion. This day is celebrated annually on the Thursday before Easter, and holds major importance in Christian tradition as the day commemorating Jesus Christ’s institution of the Eucharist during the Last Supper. This holy day is rich in history, symbolism, and ritual, reflecting centuries of religious devotion and cultural practices.

The Origin of the Name "Maundy"

The word Maundy has come from the Middle English form of a Latin line from a Roman Catholic hymn sung on this day: Mandatum novum do vobis, or "a new commandment I give to you" (John 13:34). The line comes from Jesus' commandment to love each other that he issued at the Last Supper, so the name is rich in symbolism of the day's spiritual message.

In other regions of Europe, Maundy Thursday has different names because of the local traditions and customs:

• Holy Thursday: Predominant designation in most of Europe.
• Green Thursday (Gründonnerstag): Typical in Germany, so called in honor of penitents' reception of a green branch as a symbol of having fulfilled their Lenten atonement.
• Sheer Thursday (Clean Thursday): Named because of the altar washing ceremony that takes place this day, by which altars are purified and prepared for Easter.
  
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Historical and Religious Significance

In the Christian early church, Maundy Thursday was a general communion shared by clergy and laity. It was a day of different masses when the bishop blessed the chrism—sacred oils applied for anointing new Christians in baptism at the Easter vigil.

Maundy Thursday has been observed by Roman Catholic churches since 1956 with two specific liturgies:

Morning Liturgy: For the blessing of the holy oils to be used during the course of the next year.

Evening Liturgy: Celebrates the institution of the Eucharist by a general communion. The hosts are consecrated for Good Friday, a day when no liturgy is served.

One of the unique rituals taken during the night liturgy is foot washing, where the celebrant washes twelve people's feet in a ritual, symbolizing Jesus washing his disciples' feet as a humble act of servitude. It is also seen in Eastern Orthodox churches, including a foot washing ceremony and oil blessing on Maundy Thursday.

Maundy Thursday 2025 Quotes

• “After giving gratitude, he broke it, declaring, ‘This is my body, which is for you.’ Do this as a tribute to me."
• “The Bread that we need each day to grow in eternal life makes of our will a docile instrument of the Divine Will; sets the Kingdom of God within us; gives us pure lips, and a pure heart with which to glorify his holy name" – Edith Stein.
• “I’ve loved you in the same way that my Father has loved me. Stay true to my affection."
• “God dwells in our midst, in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar" – St. Maximilian Kolbe
• “I give you a new commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you. You should love one another the way I have loved you."

Maundy Thursday Traditions in England

In England, there is a special royal tradition during Maundy Thursday in which the British monarch gives alms to the poor and needy in a ceremony at a different church each year. This originated from a previous tradition that involved the monarch's personal washing of the poor's feet in imitation of Christ's acts of humility and service.

This ritual is still a symbolic gesture of charity and remembrance, connecting the spiritual meaning of Maundy Thursday to social responsibility and compassion.

Maundy Thursday remains a day of deep contemplation, ritual, and community throughout Christian traditions globally. Named after a reminder to love and serve, it reminds believers of the timeless lesson of humility and sacrifice that Jesus Christ embodied on the night of the Last Supper.