Easter Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! === Western Christianity === {{Lent_calendar.svg|400px}} In most branches of Western Christianity, Easter is preceded by [[Lent]], a period of penitence that begins on [[Ash Wednesday]], lasts 40 days (not counting Sundays), and is often marked with fasting. The week before Easter, known as [[Holy Week]], is an important time for observers to commemorate the final week of Jesus' life on earth.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Meaning of Holy Week|last=MacKinnon|first=Grace|date=March 2003|publisher=Catholic Education Resource Center|url=https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/the-meaning-of-holy-week.html|access-date=16 April 2022|archive-date=12 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512214440/https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/the-meaning-of-holy-week.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Sunday before Easter is [[Palm Sunday]], with the Wednesday before Easter being known as [[Spy Wednesday]] (or Holy Wednesday). The last [[The Three Days|three days]] before Easter are [[Maundy Thursday]], [[Good Friday]] and [[Holy Saturday]] (sometimes referred to as Silent Saturday).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sfetcu |first=Nicolae |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t4B-AwAAQBAJ&dq=The+last+three+days+before+Easter+are+Maundy+Thursday%2C+Good+Friday+and+Holy+Saturday+%28sometimes+referred+to+as+Silent+Saturday%29&pg=PA10 |title=Easter Traditions |date=2 May 2014 |publisher=Nicolae Sfetcu |access-date=25 January 2023 |archive-date=5 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405023926/https://books.google.com/books?id=t4B-AwAAQBAJ&dq=The+last+three+days+before+Easter+are+Maundy+Thursday,+Good+Friday+and+Holy+Saturday+(sometimes+referred+to+as+Silent+Saturday)&pg=PA10 |url-status=live }}</ref> Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday respectively commemorate Jesus's entry in Jerusalem, the [[Last Supper]] and the [[crucifixion]]. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday are sometimes referred to as the [[Easter Triduum]] ([[Latin]] for "Three Days"). Many churches begin celebrating Easter late in the evening of Holy Saturday at a service called the [[Easter Vigil]].<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica 1998 (Holy Saturday)">{{cite web | title=Holy Saturday | website=Encyclopedia Britannica | date=1998-07-20 | url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Holy-Saturday | access-date=2023-04-23}}</ref> The week beginning with Easter Sunday is called Easter Week or the [[Octave of Easter]], and each day is prefaced with "Easter", e.g. [[Easter Monday]] (a public holiday in many countries), [[Easter Tuesday]] (a much less widespread public holiday), etc. [[Easter Saturday]] is therefore the Saturday ''after'' Easter Sunday. The day before Easter is properly called Holy Saturday. [[Eastertide]], or Paschaltide, the season of Easter, begins on Easter Sunday and lasts until the day of [[Pentecost]], seven weeks later.<ref name="Fairchild 2012">{{cite web | last=Fairchild | first=Mary | title=Holy Week Timeline: From Palm Sunday to Resurrection Day | website=Learn Religions | date=2012-03-15 | url=https://www.learnreligions.com/holy-week-timeline-700618 | access-date=2023-04-23}}</ref><ref name="Bucher 2021">{{cite web | last=Bucher | first=Meg | title=What Is Holy Week? - 8 Days of Easter You Need to Know | website=Crosswalk.com | date=2021-02-08 | url=https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/easter/what-is-holy-week.html | access-date=2023-04-23}}</ref><ref name="Huck Ramshaw Lathrop 1988 p. ">{{cite book | last1=Huck | first1=Gabe | last2=Ramshaw | first2=Gail | last3=Lathrop | first3=Gordon W. | title=An Easter sourcebook : the fifty days | publisher=Liturgy Training Publications | publication-place=Chicago | date=1988 | isbn=0-930467-76-0 | oclc=17737025}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page