HOLY SATURDAY
Added on: 19th Apr 2014
WHAT DO PEOPLE DO?
MANY CHRISTIANS WORLDWIDE OBSERVE HOLY SATURDAY
BY REMEMBERING IT AS THE DAY WHEN JESUS LAY IN THE TOMB.
IT IS A DAY OF BOTH SADNESS AND JOY AMONG CHRISTIANS
IN MANY CULTURES. MANY CHURCHES HOLD AN EASTER VIGIL
(WATCH) SERVICE. DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE MEANING
BEHIND THE RITUALS, PRAYER AND SYMBOLS THAT ARE
ALL PART OF THE EASTER VIGIL OCCUR DURING THESE
SERVICES. SOME CHURCHES ALSO HOLD LARGE BAPTISM
SERVICES ON THIS DAY.
HOLY SATURDAY IS KNOWN AS JUDAS DAY IN MEXICO,
WHERE PEOPLE BURN EFFIGIES OF JUDAS ISCARIOT,
WHO BETRAYED JESUS FOR 30 PIECES OF SILVER.
STREET VENDORS SELL THE EFFIGIES, WHICH RANGE
IN HEIGHT, AND MAKE JUDAS LOOK AS UGLY AS POSSIBLE.
EFFIGIES DESIGNED FOR CHILDREN ARE STUFFED
WITH CANDY AND HUNG IN PATIOS AT PEOPLE’S HOMES.
OTHER EFFIGIES ARE SEEN ON THE STREETS OR
HUNG ON LAMP POSTS. FIRECRACKERS ARE ATTACHED TO
MANY OF THESE EFFIGIES AND ARE IGNITED AS SOON AS THE
MASS OF GLORY IS OVER. CHILDREN SCRAMBLE FOR THE
CANDY INSIDE THE EFFIGIES AFTER THEY EXPLODE.
A CZECH CUSTOM, KNOWN AS WHITE SATURDAY,
IS TO RATTLE KEYS AND BURN OUT JUDAS BY BURNING
THE LAST OF THE HOLY OIL BEFORE THE CHURCH DOOR.
HOLY SATURDAY IS OBSERVED BY THE BLESSING OF
FOOD AND EASTER BASKETS IN POLAND.
CHILDREN IN MANY COUNTRIES SPEND TIME DECORATING AND
COLOURING EGGS ON THE SATURDAY BEFORE EASTER SUNDAY.
Comment on this