From Palm Sunday to his resurrection at Easter, let's retrace Christ's journey during Holy Week and discover what it represents in the Catholic religion.

What does Holy Week represent?

Holy Week can be considered the most important week in the Catholic liturgical calendar. It represents the last week of Christ, from his crucifixion to his resurrection.

A journey that retraces several key moments in the life of Christ: his glorification, his last meal, his death and above all his resurrection.

This Holy Week ends with a strong symbol: the victory of life over death with the resurrection of Jesus and the salvation of men thanks to the sacrifice of the Son of God.

Holy Week also marks the end of Lent. 5 Sundays which were devoted to the preparation of Easter.

All about Holy Week

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week.

It represents the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. He is cheered by the people brandishing palm branches. He is welcomed as a king, as the Messiah.

But this day represents, at the same time, the acceptance of death by Jesus since he knows that his arrival in Jerusalem also signs his death warrant.

Maundy Thursday, Last Supper

During Maundy Thursday the Last Supper will take place, in other words, the last meal of Jesus before his death which he spends alongside his 12 disciples.

It is during this meal that Jesus will declare, by taking the bread and the wine, to offer his blood and his body for the salvation of men.

The Eucharist performed during the Mass is thus a way of paying homage to the offering made by Jesus for men during his last meal.

Good Friday, the Passion of Christ

Good Friday represents the day of the death of Jesus, betrayed by one of his disciples who is none other than Judas.

Christ is condemned to be crucified on a cross for having usurped the identity of the son of God, the savior of men.

Before the crucifixion, Jesus had to walk the way of the cross with a crown of thorns on his head, beaten, whipped and with his cross on his back.

This day thus represents Jesus' sacrifice for the men he loved so much.

When he breathed his last, the body of Jesus was then taken down from the cross, wrapped in a white cloth and placed in a tomb.

Holy Saturday, mourning

Holy Saturday represents a day of mourning but also and above all a day of waiting before the resurrection of Christ. Jesus having announced his next resurrection before his death.

During the night of Holy Saturday to Easter Sunday the celebration of the Easter Vigil will take place.

Easter Sunday, the resurrection of Jesus

Easter Sunday is meant to be one of the most important days, if not the most important day of the Catholic religion.

Since it is this Sunday morning that we discover that the body of Christ, which was still in the tomb the previous day, has disappeared.

Christ will then appear to several people. He resurrected 3 days after his death, as he had predicted.

His death, then his resurrection is therefore the symbol of the victory of life over death, of the sacrifice of Jesus for the salvation of man, the renewal of man freed from his sins.

Easter Eggs, Bells, Easter Lamb: Easter Traditions

Eggs

There are several explanations for this tradition of offering eggs to celebrate Easter. One of them dates back to the Middle Ages.

Period during which it would have been forbidden to eat eggs during Lent. These were then kept and redistributed on Easter Sunday. A tradition that has evolved since chicken eggs have turned into chocolate eggs.

The bells

The tradition of the Easter bells which bring the eggs is a tradition which is done rather in Belgium, Italy and France.

The bells of Catholic churches no longer ring from Maundy Thursday until Easter Sunday to respect the memory of the death of Christ. They ring again on Easter Sunday.

To explain it to children in particular, it is said that the bells leave for Rome during this period and return for Easter Sunday, scattering eggs in its path, intended for children.

The Paschal Lamb

The lamb is symbolized as a pure and innocent animal. It is for this reason that Jesus is sometimes represented as a lamb. The paschal lamb thus represents the sacrifice of Jesus for men.

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