Holiday overview

Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his disciples.

Also known as: Holy Thursday, Great and Holy Thursday, Thursday of Mysteries

Ownership: International holiday

Categories: National Public Holidays Observances & Non-Work Holidays

Tags: Religious Cultural & Traditional Seasonal & Calendar

Usually a public holiday

Date rule: Thursday before Easter Sunday (varies by year)

Date type: Computed

About this holiday

Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, is the Thursday before Easter Sunday. It commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles, where he washed their feet and instituted the Eucharist. It is part of Holy Week and is a public holiday in many Christian-majority countries.

History

The observance dates back to the early Christian Church. The name 'Maundy' comes from the Latin 'mandatum', referring to Jesus' command to 'love one another as I have loved you.'

Traditions

Feet washing ceremonies
Holy Communion / Eucharist
Stripping of the altar
Visiting seven churches

Where and when this holiday appears

Date	Weekday	Countries
April 3, 2025	Thursday	Nicaragua
April 17, 2025	Thursday	Colombia Costa Rica Denmark Faroe Islands Greenland Guatemala Haiti Honduras Iceland Norway Paraguay Peru Peru Philippines Spain Svalbard and Jan Mayen Uruguay
April 2, 2026	Thursday	Colombia Costa Rica Denmark Faroe Islands Greenland Guatemala Haiti Honduras Iceland Nicaragua Norway Paraguay Peru Peru Philippines Spain Svalbard and Jan Mayen Uruguay
March 25, 2027	Thursday	Colombia Costa Rica Denmark Faroe Islands Greenland Guatemala Haiti Honduras Iceland Norway Paraguay Peru Peru Philippines Spain Svalbard and Jan Mayen Uruguay
April 1, 2027	Thursday	Nicaragua

Maundy Thursday

About this holiday

History

Traditions

Where and when this holiday appears

Related holidays