Each day of Holy Week of Great Lent is dedicated to the remembrance of the last days of Jesus Christ's stay on earth. In church tradition, these days are called Great or Passionate. Therefore, the correct name for this day is Holy Thursday.
The essence of Holy Thursday, first of all, lies in the memory of the Last Supper, during which Christ established the main Sacrament of the Church - Holy Communion, the Eucharist. Therefore, on this day, believers, with the exception of some extraordinary situations, come to church for divine services and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Why is Thursday called "clean"?
At the beginning of the Last Supper, Christ washed the feet of His disciples, thereby showing them an example of true humility and service to one's neighbor. In memory of this, on Holy Thursday during the divine service in cathedrals, the rite of washing the feet is performed: the bishop washes the feet of twelve priests or monks.
Perhaps it was thanks to this ritual that the tradition of cleaning houses and apartments on Maundy Thursday arose. But it is worth remembering that the essence of this day is not at all about cleaning the home, but about spiritual purification, repentance, and preparing the soul for Holy Communion.
Another theory of the origin of the name "Maundy Thursday" reminds us of this: in early Christian times, the announced (those preparing for Baptism) were baptized on Holy Saturday, on the eve of Easter. They prepared for this event throughout Great Lent. And therefore Maundy Thursday was truly called clean, because before Baptism and Easter they put themselves in order, so that on Good Friday and Saturday they would not think about external things, but about Christ, Who died and rose again.
What can and cannot be done on Maundy Thursday?
Can I do cleaning?
Of course, cleanliness in the house before Easter should be. At the same time, spiritual purity is incomparably more important. On this day, it is extremely important to participate in church services and, most importantly, to realize the holiness of these days.
It is that we do not simply recall the events of the past, but become their witnesses, reading passages from Holy Scripture and listening to liturgical texts. We enter into the experience of the disciples who were at the Last Supper. This means that we must tune our inner ear to the Gospel.
If at this time we are busy, cleaning, washing and thinking that this is the most important thing, then this means putting things in order on the outside and not cleansing our soul. This is wrong. It is very important to set priorities correctly.
The Church's attitude towards "conspiracies"
The Church has an extremely negative attitude towards this. There are no fortune-telling or any signs associated with Maundy Thursday or any other day.
There are only natural observations related to the weather that people have noticed while living in one area for a long time. But this has nothing to do with the holiday and does not affect a person's life. All this is paganism.
Is it possible to visit the cemetery?
On Maundy Thursday, you should visit a church. If a person asks the question of whether it is possible to go to a cemetery, it means that they want to do the right thing.
And if so, we need to listen to the Church, which on this day commemorates the institution of the Last Supper and the Passion of Christ. Therefore, we should participate in the Liturgy, receive communion, and in the evening, if possible, be present at the reading of the 12 Gospels.
Prayers on Maundy Thursday
The prayer texts of this day contain memories of the Last Supper, the institution of the Sacrament of Communion, and the betrayal of Judas. They already contain a sense of sorrow for the Lord's future suffering.
The Gospel reading on Holy Thursday consists of texts from all four evangelists and describes the Last Supper.
On this day, instead of the "Cherubim Song", a prayer is sung:
"In Your mysterious supper today, Son of God, accept me as a communicant: for I will not tell the secret to Your enemies, nor will I give a kiss, like Judas, but as a thief I confess You: remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom."
In the evening, a service is held with the reading of the twelve Passion Gospels. These passages reveal to us the complete picture of the Savior's suffering. The faithful stand in the church with lighted candles in their hands, and after each reading the choir sings:
"Glory to Your long-suffering, Lord!"
