Sunday, April 1 through next Sunday, April 8, marks the Christian observance of Holy Week, which includes the eight days from Palm Sunday to the Sunday of Easter Day.
There are two really important times in the church year.
One is the 12 days of Christmas. This week is the other.
“The great joy of celebrating Holy Week is that we in the church are brought into a day-by-day experience of the last week of Jesus’ life,” SMU Canterbury Commons lay leader Paul Wheatley said. Holy Week is one of the most important events on the Christian calendar.
Holy Week forms a bridge between the 40-day season of fasting, penance and reflection known as Lent and the traditional 50-day celebration of the season of Easter, which culminates with Pentecost Sunday.
Observances of Holy Week vary within Christianity.
The Eastern Orthodox use a different liturgical calendar and will celebrate Easter Day on April 15 this year.
Some Protestant Christian denominations commemorate just Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter Day, while more liturgical denominations also mark Maundy Thursday and Holy Saturday.
Palm Sunday, which starts the eight days of Holy Week, marks the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem.
Many congregations start their worship outdoors then process indoors, waving palms fronds while singing.
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday are often referred to as the Triduum, three days which, SMU associate chaplain and coordinator of religious life Judy Henneberger said, “call to us as church community, the significance in which the church community therefore and afterwards continues to excited.”