Maundy Thursday: traditions of the holiday on the eve of Easter

After Monday and Tuesday, the attention of Christians was focused on the last teachings of Jesus Christ before his crucifixion, and on Wednesday the Saviour was sold to the Pharisees and scribes for 30 pieces of silver by a relative who wanted to kill him (therefore Wednesday, like Friday, the day of Jesus’ crucifixion, was declared a fast day). Maundy Thursday is celebrated with four feasts: Christ’s washing of the apostles’ feet, the Lord’s Supper, at which the Sacrament of Holy Communion (Eucharist) was instituted, prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, and the seizure of the Lord by those who wanted to kill Him.

The Sacrament of Holy Communion/Pixabay

The 12 Gospels of the Passion of the Saviour are read at the Liturgy of Holy Thursday. The cross procession includes Vespers and Matins, which are combined with the Liturgy of St Basil the Great. The Kyiv Online article tells all about the traditions of Christians.

Maundy Thursday 2025 and folk traditions

On these days, including Maundy Thursday, tradition completely prohibits the use of two products, even for those who do not fast: vinegar and nettles. It is said that during his crucifixion on the cross, Jesus was beaten with nettles, which stung his wounds, and sprinkled with vinegar to make it sting even more. Legend has it that when he asked for a few drops of water, the Saviour was offered vinegar: hence the popular custom of excluding these two products from the list of recommended foods during the last week of Lent.

Tradition says that from that moment on, no more bells are rung, but only a drum is beaten. Today, Ukrainian families boil eggs and make Easter cake. Easter cake is made from white flour sifted in a special pan. The eggshells used to make Easter cake were not thrown away or burned. They were collected with great care in special dishes and thrown into running water on Easter Saturday in the belief that this would protect chickens and chickens from birds of prey for the whole summer.

Maundy Thursday traditions/Pixabay

Maundy Thursday is also known as Holy Thursday, Black Thursday and Clean Thursday. By this date, women had to finish spinning hemp.
Sometimes children, smeared with black paint, would go to persuade girls who were ready to get married to work and get eggs for Easter eggs by saying proverbs.

On Maundy Thursday in the morning, people usually go to church for confession and communion. In the evening, Christians go to the Denaturation of the 12 Gospels, where they wear mourning clothes made of white cloth sewn in black. Also on Maundy Thursday, bread is brought to the church, which the priest blesses, sprinkles with wine and distributes to the parishioners on the night of the Resurrection. In the West, if a family prepares bread for Easter, it is brought in new dishes.

Maundy Thursday as a day of remembrance in the tradition of faith

In folk tradition, Maundy Thursday is considered a blessing for the dead. On this day, the last commemoration of those who are not among the living takes place during Lent. Traditionally, on the night before Maundy Thursday, graves are opened and the souls of the dead return to their old homes, where they remain until the Saturday before Pentecost.

Remembrance Day/Pixabay

Sometimes it is customary to give water as alms, either by throwing a bucket of water on the grave or by carrying it to older women. It is said that it is not good to do laundry on this day, because instead of alms, dirty water from washing ends up with the dead.

In some regions of the country, bonfires for the dead are still lit at dawn in yards, graves, or from wood or vines. It is believed that they represent the fire that Caiaphas’ servants lit in the archpriest’s yard to keep warm when Judas sold Christ, or the fire by which St Peter was stopped when he denied Jesus Christ.

Ukrainians also learnt about the traditions of Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday.