Every religion has its own faiths, cultures, rituals, and important occasions. Like that, a part of the world follows the Christian religion and celebrates the holy week.
Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are a significant part of the holy culture and are declared as public holidays in some parts of the world.
Key Takeaways
- Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter and commemorates the Last Supper, while Good Friday is the Friday before Easter and commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus.
- Maundy Thursday is a celebration of the Eucharist, while Good Friday is a day of fasting and penance.
- Maundy Thursday begins the Easter Triduum, while Good Friday marks the second day of the Triduum.
Maundy Thursday vs Good Friday
Maundy Thursday is a holy day celebrated by Christians to honor the Last Supper and the Washing of the Feet of Jesus Christ. This is the Holy Thursday before Easter, an official public holiday in some countries. Good Friday is a Christian holiday that memorializes Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and death. This day is globally recognized as a public holiday.
Maundy Thursday belongs to the holy week, commonly known as Holy Thursday, which is the day from which Paschal Triduum is initiated. It is a part of the holy week.
The community shows their faith on this day and commemorates the Last Supper and the Washing of the Feet of Jesus Christ. It is also known as the Sheer Thursday.
Good Friday is known by the whole world as it is officially announced as a public holiday. It also belongs to the holy week.
On the 6th day of the holy week, Good Friday is celebrated. On this day, the whole community prays and recalls the death of Christ along with his crucifixion.
It is also called and known by the name of Holy Friday.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Maundy Thursday | Good Friday |
|---|---|---|
| Defined | Maundy Thursday pays respects to the Last Supper and Washing of the Feet of Jesus Christ. | Good Friday pays respects and recalls the death of Christ along with his crucifixion |
| Another name | The other names for Maundy Thursday are Great and Holy Thursday, Thursday of Mysteries, and Sheer Thursday. | Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Holy and Great Friday), and Black Friday. |
| Day of the week | It comes on Thursday in the holy week. | It comes on Friday in the holy week. |
| Holiday | Maundy Thursday is a public holiday in some parts of the world. | Good Friday is recognized as a global holiday all over the world. |
| Paschal Triduum | Maundy Thursday initiates Paschal Triduum period. | Good Friday is a part of Paschal Triduum. |
What is Maundy Thursday?
The beginning of Paschal Triduum begins with Maundy Thursday. It is commonly known as Holy Thursday.
It takes place within the Holy Week on the 5th day. The day of Maundy Thursday is Thursday.
The community expresses its faith on this day by commemorating the Last Supper and the Washing of Jesus Christ’s Feet.
Sheer Thursday is another name for it. There are many other names for this, like Holy and Great Thursday or Covenant Thursday.
Maundy Thursday was officially declared as a public in many countries of the world that were part of the Spanish empire.
These countries include Spain, Peru, the Philippines, Mexico, Columbia, and many more.
There is a period called Paschal Triduum which indicates the values like death, passion, and resurrection of Jesus. This period is known to be initiated by Maundy Thursday.
The word Maundy is referred to as a Latin word that means commandment and represents Jesus saying, “I give you a new Commandment”.
The other days which are included in this period are Holy Saturday and Good Friday. On Sunday evening, this period is finished.
The services are mostly worshipped in the evening time. According to the Jewish tradition, this is the time when Friday begins.
What is Good Friday?
Good Friday is a day that is known by the whole world, no matter whether people belong to the Christian community or not.
The reason behind it is that it is declared as a public holiday all over the globe, including in many Western countries too.
There are many names from which Good Friday is recognized as such as Holy and Great Friday or Black Friday.
Good Friday comes in the holy week, the 6th day as Friday on this day of the week.
All Christian communities and show their belief while recalling the death of Jesus Christ and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
It is also a part of the paschal triduum period.
Many denominations belonging to Christian communities participate in Good Friday, like Catholics Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Methodist, etc, which observe Good Friday with many church services along with fasting.
The Gregorian and Julian calendars are those calendars that determine the dates of the holy week, which also leads to the dates of Good Friday and Maundy Thursday.
Many groups of Christianity are against these calendars’ computation, including Eastern and Western Christianity.
Main Differences Between Maundy Thursday and Good Friday
- Maundy Thursday is dedicated to paying respects to Jesus Christ by recalling the Last Supper and Washing of the Feet of Jesus Christ, whereas on Good Friday, people recall the crucifixion of Jesus and the Death of Jesus Christ.
- Other names of Maundy Thursday by which is known by other parts of the world, are Great and Holy Thursday, and Covenant Thursday. The other names which come into the list are Holy and Great Thursday, Sheer Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries, while Good Friday is known by the names Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, and Black Friday.
- The days in a holy week which belongs to Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are the day of the week – Thursday and Friday, respectively.
- Maundy Thursday is officially announced as a public holiday in many parts of the world, whereas Good Friday is a global public holiday.
- Paschal Triduum is initiated by Maundy Thursday, whereas Good Friday is considered as a part of Paschal Triduum
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0015587X.1937.9718677?journalCode=rfol20
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0015587X.1936.9718659?journalCode=rfol20
Last Updated : 14 October, 2023
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The religious significance of both Maundy Thursday and Good Friday has been explained adequately.
The article could be improved by incorporating some contemporary perspectives on the religious and cultural significance of these holy days.
Despite the detailed analysis, the article could benefit from a more in-depth exploration of the ways in which Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are observed across different Christian denominations.
Some historical references to the Spanish empire’s role in declaring Maundy Thursday as a public holiday add an interesting dimension to the discussion.
The comparison table is especially helpful in understanding the differences between the two holy days.
The article clearly explains the main differences between Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. The information is well organized and explained.