The Holy Triduum is the three day period before Easter that commemorates Jesus Christ's passion, death and resurrection. It includes Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Major events include the Last Supper on Holy Thursday, the crucifixion and stations of the cross on Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil mass on Holy Saturday celebrating Jesus' triumph over sin and death. The date of Easter varies each year between March 22nd and April 25th based on the lunar calendar.
1. The Paschal TriduumThe Paschal Triduum
Celebrating the Great Mystery of FaithCelebrating the Great Mystery of Faith
2. What is the meaning of the word PaschalWhat is the meaning of the word Paschal
and Triduum?and Triduum?
The word PaschalThe word Paschal
means:means:
Passover.Passover.
The word TriduumThe word Triduum
means:means:
Three days.Three days.
3. What are the days of the Holy Triduum?What are the days of the Holy Triduum?
The days of the HolyThe days of the Holy
Triduum are:Triduum are:
A.A. Holy ThursdayHoly Thursday
B.B. Good FridayGood Friday
C.C. Holy SaturdayHoly Saturday
4. What is the Holy Triddum?What is the Holy Triddum?
The Triduum is aThe Triduum is a
celebrationcelebration oof the threef the three
holiest days in theholiest days in the
Catholic ChurchCatholic Church..
5. Why is the Holy Triduum so Important?Why is the Holy Triduum so Important?
Through the liturgy of theseThrough the liturgy of these
three days the Churchthree days the Church
remembers thatremembers that ChristChrist
suffered and died, but thatsuffered and died, but that
HHe also came to lifee also came to life..
The Triduum is theThe Triduum is the
celebration of the Churchcelebration of the Church’’ss
salvation through Christ.salvation through Christ.
Easter and the holidays that are
related to it have changing dates
(March/April)
6. What does the Holy Triduum rememberWhat does the Holy Triduum remember
and celebrate?and celebrate?
The Holy Triduum remembersThe Holy Triduum remembers
and celebratesand celebrates ChristChrist’’ss
victory over sin and death.victory over sin and death.
7. The Holy TriduumThe Holy Triduum
The HolyThe Holy TriduumTriduum begins on thebegins on the
evening ofevening of Holy ThursdayHoly Thursday..
On Holy Thursday there is onlyOn Holy Thursday there is only
oneone MMassass..
TheThe MMass of theass of the LordLord’’s suppers supper
which is celebrated in thewhich is celebrated in the
eveningevening..
8. Holy ThursdayHoly Thursday
A. The faithful gathers inA. The faithful gathers in
church to celebrate thechurch to celebrate the
institutioninstitution of theof the EucharistEucharist andand
priesthood.priesthood.
BB. The. The churchchurch is cleared.is cleared. AllAll
decorations are removed fromdecorations are removed from
the church.the church.
9. Good FridayGood Friday
A. This is a holy day ofA. This is a holy day of
fastingfasting andand abstinenceabstinence..
B. Is the only day in theB. Is the only day in the
CatholicCatholic calendar thatcalendar that aa
MMass is not celebrated.ass is not celebrated.
10. Holy Saturday Easter VigilHoly Saturday Easter Vigil
A. The Easter Vigil is theA. The Easter Vigil is the
highest pointhighest point of theof the EasterEaster
TriduumTriduum..
B. TheB. The Easter VigilEaster Vigil begins onbegins on
the evening ofthe evening of HolyHoly
SaturdaySaturday..
C. This is the longestC. This is the longest
celebration in Catholiccelebration in Catholic
worship.worship.
D. The Easter VigilD. The Easter Vigil
celebration proclaimscelebration proclaims JesusJesus’’
triumph over the powers oftriumph over the powers of
evilevil andand deathdeath..
11. Easter VigilEaster Vigil
This is the first mass ofThis is the first mass of
EasterEaster day, and theday, and the
beginningbeginning of theof the EasterEaster
seasonseason, fifty days of, fifty days of
celebration that end oncelebration that end on
Pentecost Sunday,Pentecost Sunday, the feastthe feast
of the Holy Spirit.of the Holy Spirit.
12. The Lord is Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!The Lord is Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!
13. Date
Easter and the holidays that are related to it are moveable feasts, in that they do not fall on
a fixed date in the Gregorian or Julian calendars (both of which follow the cycle of the sun
and the seasons). Instead, the date for Easter is determined on a lunisolar calendar similar
to the Hebrew calendar. The First Council of Nicaea (325) established two rules,
independence of the Jewish calendar and worldwide uniformity, which were the only rules
for Easter explicitly laid down by the Council. No details for the computation were specified;
these were worked out in practice, a process that took centuries and generated a number
of controversies. (See also Computus and Reform of the date of Easter.) In particular, the
Council did not decree that Easter must fall on Sunday. This was already the practice
almost everywhere.
In Western Christianity, using the Gregorian calendar, Easter always falls on a Sunday
between 22 March and 25 April inclusive, within about seven days after the astronomical
full moon. The following day, Easter Monday, is a legal holiday in many countries with
predominantly Christian traditions.
Eastern Christianity bases its calculations on the Julian Calendar. Because of the 13-day
difference between the calendars between 1900 and 2099, 21 March corresponds, during
the 21st century, to 3 April in the Gregorian Calendar. Easter therefore varies between 4
April and 8 May on the Gregorian calendar (the Julian calendar is no longer used as the
civil calendar of the countries where Eastern Christian traditions predominate). Also,
because the Julian "full moon" is always several days after the astronomical full moon, the
eastern Easter is often later, relative to the visible moon's phases, than western Easter.
Among the Oriental Orthodox some churches have changed from the Julian to the
Gregorian calendar and the date for Easter as for other fixed and moveable feasts is the
same as in the Western church.