We explain what Holy Week is in the Christian calendar, information about each day and what each of its symbols means.
What are the symbols of Holy Week?
Holy Week or Greater Week is, in the Christian calendar, a celebration of variable date that annually commemorates the passion of Jesus of Nazareth: his entry into Jerusalem, his last supper surrounded by his apostles, his capture, the Way of the Cross and crucifixion, and finally his death and resurrection. This celebration lasts approximately one week and It usually takes place between March and April of each year and is normally accompanied by processions, mass liturgies and holidays.
Holy Week covers an entire week, whose days have specific names:
- Palm Sunday which commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.
- Holy Monday which recalls events such as the anointing of Jesus in the house of Lazarus and the expulsion of the merchants from the temple.
- Holy Tuesday which recalls Jesus Christ's anticipation of Judas's betrayal and Peter's denial.
- Holy Wednesday which recalls Judas' conspiracy with the Sanhedrin to hand Jesus over to the Romans.
- Maundy Thursday which remembers the washing of the apostles' feet and the last supper they had with Jesus Christ, before the Romans captured him.
- Good Friday also called Friday of Sorrows, which remembers the interrogation of Jesus Christ, the flagellation, the Stations of the Cross and finally his death by crucifixion.
- Glory Saturday which recalls Mary's loneliness and the eve of the resurrection.
- Easter Sunday which commemorates the resurrection of the Messiah, in the midst of Easter celebration.
These events are central to Christian mythology and are contained in very different symbols and representations, present in churches and temples, especially during the rites of Holy Week. The main ones among these symbols are: palms and branches; the wine and the bread; the foot washing; the paschal candle; the color purple; and the cross.
See also: Corpus Christi
Palms and branches
According to the Christian story, when Jesus of Nazareth made his appearance in Jerusalem, on the back of a donkey, The people welcomed the Messiah, spreading cloaks as he passed and throwing palm branches along the way. This gesture of welcome is remembered every Palm Sunday, distributing among the parishioners palm leaves, sometimes woven in the shape of a cross, or branches of other trees such as boxwood, olive, willow or yew, in those places where the palm is difficult to get.
The wine and the bread
The Christian story tells that at his last Passover dinner and in the company of his apostles, Jesus of Nazareth offered each of them a cup of wine and a loaf of unleavened bread. When he gave them the wine, Jesus told them that it was his own blood, and when he gave them the bread, he told them that it was his body.
This divine transformation of bread into body and wine into blood is what is remembered in the Christian celebration of the Eucharist, present in every mass. During Holy Week, these foods are used as a symbol of the acceptance of the Christian faith during Holy Thursday, as the faithful eat the Messiah and become one with him.
The foot washing
According to the Gospel of Saint John, Jesus of Nazareth washed the feet of each of his disciples before they had their last supper. This gesture was typical of slaves and servants at the time, and the fact that the Messiah performed it is interpreted as a gesture of extreme humility, brotherhood and acceptance of the other, at whose service every good Christian is.
In many Christian religious communities, This message is remembered through the washing the feet of the faithful, sometimes in the hands of other faithful and sometimes in the hands of the priest or parish priest. In this case, the practice is carried out on Holy Thursday, before the Eucharist.
The paschal candle
The paschal candle It is a large candle, lit continuously and in which the Greek letters alpha (𝛼) and omega (⍵) are inscribed the first and last of the Greek alphabet, as a sign of the connection between the beginning and the end, that is, the eternity of Jesus Christ.
It is actually a symbol of Passover, but since the resurrection of Jesus occurred during the Jewish celebration of Passover, The candle is interpreted as the light of hope and life facing the darkness of suffering and death. For this reason, the Easter candle is lit from the Easter Vigil until Pentecost Sunday.
The color purple
Purple or purple is one of the main colors of Semana Mayor. It was a color used since Roman times as a symbol of penitence and renewal and according to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal it is typical of the times of Advent and Lent.
Numerous representations of the Stations of the Cross of Jesus of Nazareth show him dressed in a purple tunic, which is popularly known as the image of the Nazarene. That is why today the faithful who pay penance or who embody the place of Jesus Christ in the procession, on his painful path to Mount Golgotha, where he was crucified, wear purple.
The cross
The cross is not only a symbol of Holy Week, but of Christianity in general: It is the place where Jesus Christ died and that is why it is present in all Christian temples as a reminder of the sacrifice of Jesus of Nazareth.
According to Christian interpretation, his sacrifice constituted the gesture of confirmation of the new covenant between God and humanity, since when Jesus Christ died he paid for the sins of all. The cross during Holy Week can be seen practically everywhere, in decorations, clothing, religious icons and even in the crossing of the faithful.
Continue with: Sacraments of the Catholic Church
References
- “Holy Week” on Wikipedia.
- “Know the signs and symbols of Holy Week” in the Inter-American Confederation of Catholic Education (CIEC).
- “Holy Week (Christianity)” in The Encyclopaedia Britannica.
