- By Prerna Targhotra
- Sat, 30 Mar 2024 07:16 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Holy Saturday 2024: Among the seven holy days of Good Friday, Holy Saturday is observed with great devotion. Also known as Holy, Great or Joyous Saturday, it is considered an important day when Jesus Christ’s body was placed in the tomb after the crucifixion on Good Friday. This year, Holy Saturday is being observed on March 30 and Easter will be celebrated on March 31.
Holy Saturday 2024: History And Significance
Christians observe a sombre and contemplative period known as Holy Saturday, Great Saturday, Black Saturday, or Easter Vigil when the sun sets on Good Friday. For Christians worldwide, Holy Saturday represents a day of reflection and repose. On this day, Christians observe a day of grief as they remember Jesus Christ's death and burial. As Christians anticipate the celebration of Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday, there is a sense of hope and expectation among the gloom and grief.
Holy Saturday, according to Christian beliefs, is significant to humanity's redemption because it commemorates the moment when Christ descended into hell to release the souls of the righteous who had passed away before his crucifixion. This idea, which is sometimes referred to as the 'Harrowing of Hell' or the 'Descent into Hell,' is significant to the Easter narrative.
Holy Saturday 2024: Rituals And Facts
It became common in many churches to build a tomb or bier and set a statue of Jesus' body on it. The lay faithful were then urged to spend time in prayer in front of the melancholy tomb. For most of recorded history, there were very few, if any, public liturgies held prior to the Easter Vigil. As a result, the church was silent from Good Friday afternoon until late on Holy Saturday night.
Holy Saturday is a special day when the Church welcomes us into this intense period of 'waiting,' a time that is bordered on joy but nonetheless characterised by grief.
Historians believe that Holy Saturday was also a day that did not have a Mass. Instead, Christians held an all-night vigil that started in the middle of the night on Saturday and didn’t end until the first rays of dawn when the celebration of Mass began on Easter morning.
For many centuries there was even a strict fast on Holy Saturday, permitting no food to be eaten in observance of this painful day. Many would stay in the church throughout the night of Good Friday, keeping Jesus company in the tomb.
‘Holy Saturday’ is also referred to as ‘Low Saturday’ (referring to the ceasing of celebration) and sometimes ‘Easter Eve’.