One of the most solemn and beautiful days in the Christian liturgical year, Holy Thursday solemnly commemorates the institution of the Eucharist and is the oldest of the observances peculiar to Holy Week. In the Upper Room, where Jesus shared a Passover meal with his disciples. During this meal Jesus instituted the Eucharist (Holy Communion), transforming bread and wine into his body and blood.
He established the priesthood by instructing the apostles to continue this act.
He washed the feet of his disciples as an act of humble service and love.
Jesus also gave the "new commandment" (from Latin mandatum, hence "Maundy"): "Love one another as I have loved you" (John 13:34). This emphasizes service, humility, and sacrificial love.When Is It in 2026?Holy Thursday in 2026 falls on Thursday, April 2.
(It marks the end of Lent and the start of the Paschal Triduum — the three sacred days: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday — leading to Easter Sunday on April 5.)How It's ObservedIn Catholic churches, there's often a Chrism Mass in the morning (blessing holy oils) and the Mass of the Lord's Supper in the evening, which includes foot-washing ceremonies (the priest washes the feet of parishioners, symbolizing Jesus' act).
The altar is stripped afterward, and the Eucharist is reposed in a side chapel to reflect Jesus' agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and arrest later that night.
Many Protestant denominations call it Maundy Thursday and focus on the new commandment, with services including communion and sometimes foot-washing.
Eastern Orthodox traditions also emphasize the institution of the Eucharist and foot-washing.
Think Harder
In Rome various accessory ceremonies were early added to this commemoration, namely the consecration of the holy oils and the reconciliation of penitents, ceremonies obviously practical in character and readily explained by the proximity of the Christian Easter and the necessity of preparing for it. Holy Thursday could not but be a day of liturgical reunion since, in the cycle of movable feasts, it brings around the anniversary of the institution of the Liturgy. On that day, whilst the preparation of candidates was being completed, the Church celebrated the Missa chrismalis of which we have already described the rite (see Holy Oils) and, moreover, proceeded to the reconciliation of penitents. In Rome everything was carried on in daylight, whereas in Africa on Holy Thursday the Eucharist was celebrated after the evening meal, in view of more exact conformity with the circumstances of the Last Supper. Canon xxix of the Council of Carthage dispenses the faithful from fast before communion on Holy Thursday, because, on that day, it was customary to take a bath, and the bath and fast were considered incompatible. St. Augustine, too, speaks of this custom (Ep. cxviii ad Januarium, n. 7); he even says that, as certain persons did not fast on that day, the oblation was made twice, morning and evening, and in this way those who did not observe the fast could partake of the Eucharist after the morning meal, whilst those who fasted awaited the evening repast.
Holy Thursday was taken up with a succession of ceremonies of a joyful character: the baptism of neophytes, the reconciliation of penitents, the consecration of the holy oils, the washing of the feet, and the commemoration of the Blessed Eucharist, and, because of all these ceremonies, the day received different names, all of which allude to one or another of its solemnities.
Redditio symboli was so called because, before being admitted to baptism, the catechumens had to recite the creed from memory, either in presence of the bishop or his representative.
Pedilavium (washing of the feet), traces of which are found in the most ancient rites, occurred in many churches on Holy Thursday, the capitilavium (washing of the head) having taken place on Palm Sunday (St. Augustine, “Ep. cxviii, cxix”, c. 18).