Days of the Easter Season

In Christianity, Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus, which Christians believe happened three days after he was buried. Easter is not an isolated holiday: it is the culmination of the season of Lent, which lasts 40 days, and begins the season of Pentecost, which lasts 50 days. Because of this, Easter is a holiday which stands at the center of the Christian liturgical calendar and serves as a focal point for numerous other celebrations, commemorations, and vigils.

Holy Week is the final week of Lent. It begins with Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday, and ends with Easter Sunday. During this week Christians are expected to devote time to the study of the passion of Jesus Christ - his suffering, his death, and his eventual resurrection which is commemorated on Easter. 

Maundy Thursday, also called Holy Thursday, is the Thursday before Easter and the date during Holy Week to commemorate both Judas betray of Jesus and Jesus creation of the rite of Eucharist during the Last Supper. Early Christians celebrated it with a general communion taken by both the clergy and lay members of the church and marked the date for penitents have had a public reconciliation with the community.

Good Friday is the Friday before Easter and the date during Holy Week when Christians do penance and commemorate the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The earliest evidence of Christians engaging in fasting and penance on this date can be traced back to the second century - a time when many Christians celebrated every Friday as a feast day in remembrance of Jesus death.

Holy Saturday is the day before Easter and is the date during Holy Week when Christians engage in preparations for Easter services. Early Christians normally fasted during the day and participated in an all-night vigil before a baptism of new Christians and celebratory Eucharist at dawn. In the Middle Ages, many Holy Saturday events were transferred from the nighttime vigil to dawn services on Saturday. 

Lazarus Saturday is a part of the Easter celebrations of the Eastern Orthodox Church and commemorates the time when Jesus is believed to have raised Lazarus from the dead, signaling Jesus powers over life and death. It is the only time during the year that the resurrection service is celebrated on a different day of the week.