Sarah Mitchell
Holy Week is a significant period for Catholics, commemorating the last days of Jesus Christ's life, his death, and the celebration of his resurrection on Easter Sunday. While typically celebrated in church, there are many ways to observe Holy Week at home, including prayer, reading scripture, and symbolic traditions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Clothing and personal grooming | Planning dress outfits or doing laundry for 4 days: Holy Thursday Mass of the Last Supper, Good Friday service, Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday family celebration |
| Grocery shopping | Baking and cooking traditional recipes, including lamb, roast beef, steak, unleavened bread, potatoes, applesauce, greens, wine or grape juice, and dessert |
| Music | Practicing and enjoying sacred music, psalms, and hymns |
| Liturgy | Reading the Scripture, discussing the Liturgy of the Word, the Adoration of the Holy Cross, Holy Communion, and the Suffering Servant Song |
| Traditions | Veiling or covering statues, crucifixes, altars, and images in purple or red cloth; using palm branches and palm leaves as decorations; creating a Resurrection Garden or Easter egg tree; reading from a Lenten Book Basket |
| Prayer | Praying the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and the Divine Mercy Novena; praying before the empty tabernacle on Holy Saturday |
| Easter | Celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ with fireworks, flowers, dance dramas, and a feast |
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What You'll Learn
Read Scripture and pray
Holy Week is a significant period for Catholics, and there are many traditions and practices to engage in, even at home. Reading Scripture and praying are essential aspects of Holy Week, and there are several ways to approach these devotions.
Reading Scripture
The Bible is at the heart of Holy Week, and reading Scripture is a powerful way to reflect on the life and teachings of Jesus. One suggestion is to focus on the passages that correspond to the days of Holy Week, such as Palm Sunday, Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday (Fig Tuesday), Holy Wednesday (Spy Wednesday), Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday. Each day has its own symbolic significance, and reading the relevant Scriptures can enhance one's understanding of the events that took place during Jesus' final days. For example, on Holy Monday, readings may include Jesus' cursing of the fig tree, the cleansing of the Temple, and the anointing of Jesus at Bethany.
Praying
Prayer is an integral part of Holy Week, and there are several specific devotions that Catholics may engage in. One suggestion is to pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, which focus on the sorrowful events in the life of Jesus, such as His agony in the garden and His crucifixion. Additionally, Holy Week is an appropriate time to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, especially if one has not been doing so during Lent. Good Friday is also the day to begin the Divine Mercy Novena, which culminates in Divine Mercy Sunday. This novena is a powerful reminder of God's love and mercy, as revealed through the Redemption.
Combining Scripture and Prayer
Combining Scripture reading with prayer can create a profound experience during Holy Week. One suggestion is to read the Scriptures that correspond to each day of Holy Week and then pray in a way that reflects on those readings. For example, on Maundy Thursday, one might read the Gospel accounts of the Last Supper (e.g., Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, John 13) and then spend time in prayer, reflecting on Jesus' sacrifice and the institution of the Eucharist. Similarly, on Good Friday, one could read the Passion narratives in the Gospels (Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 18-19) and then pray the Stations of the Cross, meditating on Jesus' journey to Calvary.
Additional Practices
In addition to reading Scripture and praying, there are other related practices that can enhance one's Holy Week experience. One suggestion is to create a sacred space in the home by veiling or covering statues, crucifixes, and religious artwork. This tradition, observed during Lent and especially on Good Friday, helps to focus attention on Christ's Passion and can be a powerful visual reminder of His sacrifice. Another practice is to incorporate traditional foods into one's Holy Week observances, such as baking special recipes or preparing a Passover-inspired meal to commemorate the Last Supper. These sensory experiences can deepen one's connection to the sacred events being remembered during Holy Week.
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Cook traditional recipes
Cooking and baking are a big part of celebrating Holy Week at home for Catholics. Each day of Holy Week has its special significance and symbolic foods.
On Palm Sunday, Catholics carry "palaspás" or palm leaves to be blessed by the priest. Many take these palm leaves home and place them above their front doors or windows, believing that doing so wards off evil spirits. In keeping with the theme of palms and trees, a plate of fresh figs and cheese would be a lovely way to celebrate Palm Sunday. Figs are associated with Palm Sunday, possibly because Christ ate figs after his entry into Jerusalem.
On Maundy Thursday, or Green Thursday, a spinach pie would be appropriate, given the connection to the German word for green, "grun". You could also consider making pretzels, as they are a traditional Lenten food. Another way to explain the Last Supper to children is to make and eat some unleavened bread.
On Good Friday, Pope Gregory (I) directed that only bread, salt, and vegetables be eaten. You could try roasting or baking some vegetables and serving them with whole-grain bread. Consider incorporating vinegar into your meal as a remembrance that vinegar was offered to Jesus on the cross. You could also consider drinking only water, remembering that on the cross, Jesus thirsted.
Finally, on Easter Sunday, the day that immediately follows Holy Week, you could try making Resurrection Rolls.
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Veil statues and images
Veiling or covering statues and images of Jesus, crucifixes, and altars during Lent is an ancient custom. While it may seem odd to do so during a holy season, most sacred art is celebratory and signifies the Resurrection. Veiling images of Jesus is also related to the Gospel for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, wherein Jesus hid because the Jews were trying to stone Him.
In the United States, this custom was suppressed in 1970 but was allowed again in the third edition of the GIRM. The provision allows for sacred images to be covered from the Fifth Sunday of Lent until the beginning of the Easter Vigil. Many parishes only cover their images during Holy Week, and some only on Good Friday.
To cover your statues and images at home, you will need purple cloths of various sizes. It is preferable to iron them first. Plain and sombre colours are best, but purple and red are the most appropriate—purple for penitence and red for the Passion. If you do not have enough purple cloth, you can take the pictures or statues down and put them away until Easter, as is done in some churches instead of covering them. Tape or string may be necessary to secure the cloths if they keep sliding off your pictures or statues.
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Wear new clothes
Wearing new clothes on Easter Sunday is a reminder of the white garment worn during baptism. It is a tradition to plan dress outfits or do laundry for four days: Holy Thursday Mass of the Last Supper, Good Friday service, Easter Vigil, and the Easter Sunday family celebration.
On Easter Sunday, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is celebrated. It is the first day of the new season of the Great Fifty Days, or Eastertide, which lasts from Easter Day to Pentecost Sunday. It is the main reason why Christians keep every Sunday as the primary day of religious observance.
In the Roman Catholic Church, plenary indulgence is granted once a day. This includes the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for at least half an hour, the recitation of the Marian Rosary or the hymn Akathistos, and the devout reading or listening to the Sacred Scriptures for at least half an hour.
In addition to wearing new clothes, there are other traditions that can be done at home during Holy Week. These include:
- Reading Scripture, particularly the passages about Palm Sunday and Good Friday
- Praying the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary
- Praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet
- Praying the Divine Mercy Novena, which leads up to Divine Mercy Sunday
- Preparing and sharing special meals
- Teaching children about the significance of Holy Week
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Listen to sacred music
Music is an integral part of Catholic Holy Week celebrations. If you are celebrating Holy Week at home, you can still listen to sacred music to mark the occasion.
One way to do this is to stream liturgies online. You can also listen to the hymns and psalms that are traditionally sung during the Triduum. These include the Responsorial Psalm, which is Psalm 31: "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit". These words were spoken by Jesus on the cross. Hymns are also sung during the Three Hours, from 12-3 pm, when Jesus would have been hanging and dying on the cross. During this time, it is customary to adopt a prayerful attitude.
In addition to these, there are other songs and chants that are traditionally performed during Holy Week. For example, Tenebrae is celebrated within Western Christianity during Holy Week, especially on Spy Wednesday. Tenebrae involves the gradual extinguishing of candles while a series of readings and psalms are chanted or recited. On Holy Saturday, it is traditional to pray or sing the Litany of the Saints, which is usually done when there are candidates for baptism.
If you are celebrating with children, you could also teach them about the events of Holy Week through song. For example, you could sing "Judasers" (a song about Judas's betrayal of Jesus) while making or eating "Judasers" bread rolls.
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Frequently asked questions
There are many ways to celebrate Holy Week at home with your family. You can pray the Stations of the Cross, read Scripture, teach children about the events of Holy Week with Resurrection Eggs, or make unleavened bread. You can also veil statues and images, crucifixes, and even altars during Lent, as well as cover all religious artwork with purple cloth.
Some Catholic traditions for Holy Week include visiting seven churches on Maundy Thursday to pray the Stations of the Cross and praying in front of each church's Altar of Repose. Catholics also carry palm leaves to be blessed by the priest during Mass on Palm Sunday, later hanging them in their homes alongside Christian art.
There are many symbolic foods traditionally eaten during Holy Week. Lamb, roast beef, steak, unleavened bread, potatoes, applesauce, greens, and wine or grape juice are all suggested menu items for a special celebratory meal. You can also make Easter Story Cookies and Judasers, which are good rolls shaped like a noose.
