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

Maundy Thursday is one of the celebrations held on Good Friday Holy Week. The last supper that Jesus had with His disciples before he was crucified is remembered. This day is celebrated every year on Thursday before Easter and is crucial in the Christian tradition, as it is the Eucharist commemoration of Jesus Christ during the Last Supper. This holy day is filled with history, symbolism and rituals, reflecting centuries of religious dedication and cultural practice.

Origin of the name “Maundy”

The word Maundy comes from the intermediate English form of the Roman Catholic hymn of this day: Mandatum Novum do Vobis, or “the new commandment I have given you” (John 13:34). This line comes from the commandment of Jesus’ love for one another in the Last Supper, so the name is filled with symbolic meanings of the spiritual message of the day.

In other parts of Europe, Maundy has a different name on Thursday due to local traditions and customs:

  • Holy Thursday: The main name for most parts of Europe.
  • Green Thursday (Glendenstag): Typical in Germany, in honor of the repentant’s acceptance of the green branch, symbolizing the realization of its Lent atonement.
  • Pure Thursday (Thursday Clean): Named for the altar washing ceremony held today, the altar was purified and prepared for Easter.

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Historical and religious significance

In the early Christian churches, Modi was on Thursday a general communion shared by clergy and labor camps. It was a day when the bishop blessed Chrism, a different crowd who applied for baptism during the Easter vigil.

Since 1956, the Roman Catholic Church has observed Maundy and has performed two specific rituals:

Morning liturgy: Blessings of holy oil will be used in the course of next year.

Party liturgy: an institution that celebrates the Eucharist through the general communion. The master was dedicated to Good Friday, which was without ritual.

One of the unique rituals taken in the night liturgy is the foot washing, where the host used the ceremony to cleanse the feet of the twelve people, symbolizing that Jesus was a humble act of slavery. It can also be seen in the Orthodox church, including a footstep washing ceremony and oil blessings held on Thursday by Modi.

Maundy’s 2025 Quotes

  • “After giving gratitude, he broke it, proclaiming, ‘This is my body, this is for you.’ This is done to pay tribute to me.”
  • “We need bread that grows in eternal life every day to make our will a docile instrument of divine will; place the kingdom of God in our hearts; give us pure lips, pure hearts, to glorify His holy name” – Edith Stein.
  • “I love you the way my father loves me. Be true to my feelings.”
  • “God dwells among us, the sacrament of the altar” – St. Maximilia Colbet
  • “I give you a new commandment: You love each other as I love you. You should love each other in the way I love you.”

Maundy Thursday in England tradition

In England, there is a special royal tradition on Thursday in Modi, in which the British monarch gives alms to the poor and needy at a ceremony held every year in another church. This originated from a previous tradition that involved the personal washing of the monarch’s footsteps of the poor in imitating Christ’s humility and service.

This ceremony remains a symbolic gesture of charity and commemoration, connecting the spiritual meaning of Maundy Thursday with social responsibility and compassion.

In a global Christian tradition, Maundy Thursday remains a day of deep contemplation, ritual and community. It reminds the believers of eternal humility and sacrifice as reminded of the last supper night, as Jesus Christ embodies it.