Holy Saturday
Holy Saturday is the day before
Easter in the
Christian calendar. It is sometimes called
Easter Even, especially by
Anglicans, or
Low Saturday.
Filipinos often call it
Black Saturday or
Sabado de Gloria, while in the
Czech Republic it is called
White Saturday, probably because of white garments of the newly
baptized. It is the seventh and last
day of
Holy Week, and third day of what is often referred to as the
Easter Triduum.
In
Roman Catholic Churches, the
altar is stripped completely bare and the administration of the
sacraments is severely limited.
Holy Communion is given only to those who are sick. All
Masses are strictly forbidden before sunset. No Mass at all appears in the
liturgy for this day, nor for the preceding day,
Good Friday. Many of the
churches of the
Anglican Communion observe most of the same traditions.
After
dusk on Holy Saturday, the
Easter Vigil is celebrated, marking the official start of the
Easter season.
In
Eastern Orthodoxy this day is also called
The Great Sabbath since it is said on this day
Christ "rested" in the
tomb, in death. But it is also believed that it was on this day he performed in spirit the
Harrowing of Hell and raised up to
Paradise those held captive there. Therefore, at the main liturgical celebration, a
vesperal Divine Liturgy of St.
Basil the Great, the hangings, altar cloths, and
vestments are changed from
black to
white prior to the
epistle reading, and in the Greek tradition the
clergy strew
laurel leaves and flower petals all over the church to symbolize the shattered gates and broken chains of
hell.
Great Lent was originally the period of catechesis for new converts in order to prepare them for
baptism and
chrismated on Easter. Prior to the composition of the current
Paschal Vigil by St.
John of Damascus this day's vesperal Liturgy was the main Easter celebration, and the traditional time to receive converts is still immediately prior.
*
Friday before Palm Sunday*
Palm Sunday*
Holy Monday*
Holy Tuesday*
Holy Wednesday*
Maundy Thursday*
Good Friday*
Easter
