Holy Saturday is the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday in the Christian church. It is a day of fasting and religious observance, with restrictions on sacraments. Some churches remove altar covers or cover them in black cloth. Some cultures bless baskets for a celebratory meal on Easter Sunday.
In the Christian church, Holy Saturday is the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. In some Christian traditions, this day may be known by other names, including Black Saturday, Easter Eve, or Holy and Great Saturday. Traditions for Holy Saturday vary from church to church, but often reflect the gloomy nature of this day during which Christ lay in his tomb. In many churches, the day is marked by fasting and strict religious observance, and access to the sacraments may be severely restricted.
During Lent, the Christian calendar period that commemorates the time leading up to Christ’s passion and death, many Christian churches place restrictions on their membership so as to encourage an awareness of Christ’s sacrifice. In some churches, weddings are not performed during this time, and church members may be encouraged to practice limited fasting, such as abstaining from eating certain foods, or they may forgo other pleasures during this time. Lent ends with Holy Week, which begins with Palm Sunday, during which Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is remembered. On Good Friday, Christians remember Christ’s death on the cross, leaving Holy Saturday as the day of anticipation of Christ’s resurrection.
Churches that use altar covers in colors that match the church year may remove these covers entirely after the Maundy Thursday service, leaving the altar bare during Holy Saturday. In some churches, however, the altar may be covered in black cloth until Easter Sunday. The Eucharist is generally not celebrated on Holy Saturday or Good Friday; however, there are situations where the Eucharist and other sacraments may be performed in serious cases, such as if a person is dying and wants to receive communion. Churches will still hold services, with many celebrating a long Easter vigil as everyone waits together to celebrate the resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Some Eastern European cultures inject a more festive note into Holy Saturday celebrations with the custom of blessing the baskets. In many liturgical churches, the period of Lent is characterized by significant dietary restrictions. In Eastern Orthodox churches, for example, church members are typically asked to refrain from eating meat, eggs, and dairy products. With Easter Sunday, these foods can be eaten again and are often featured in a celebratory meal on Easter Sunday. Families will collect the basic products of the Easter meal in a basket and bring them to church for the priest to bless.
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