Why Maundy Thursday is a day of both royal alms and ritual foot washing

Music · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Maundy Thursday marks the beginning of the Paschal Triduum, commemorating the Last Supper and the washing of the feet. While the name stems from the Latin for commandment, the day is defined by a complex tension between celebration and mourning, service and betrayal, and ancient royal traditions of charity.

Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday or the Thursday of the Lord's Supper, initiates the Paschal Triduum, the period spanning the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The name derives from the Latin mandatum, referencing the new commandment Jesus gave his Apostles after washing their feet. This act of service, the Mandatum, remains a central liturgical feature across many denominations, including Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran traditions. Historically, the rite involved a leader washing the feet of others, a practice once reserved for men but expanded in the Roman Missal in 2016 to include women.

The day is also deeply connected to the institution of the priesthood and the blessing of holy oils. During the Chrism Mass, usually held on the morning of Maundy Thursday, bishops bless the oil of the sick and the oil of the catechumens, and consecrate the sacred chrism. This service, restored in 1967 based on rites recorded by the historian Hippolytus in the early 200s, allows clergy to reaffirm their ordination vows. The chrism, a mixture of olive oil and balsam, is used throughout the year for sacraments like baptism and confirmation, symbolizing the odor of sanctity.

In the United Kingdom, the day is marked by the Royal Maundy service, a custom dating back to King Edward I. The monarch distributes specially minted Maundy money—1, 2, 3, and 4 penny pieces—to senior citizens, with the number of recipients corresponding to the sovereign's age. While monarchs once washed the feet of the poor during this ceremony, the practice ceased after the death of King James II. Today, the day’s liturgy often concludes with the stripping of the altar, a somber act representing the abandonment of Jesus by his disciples and his subsequent stripping by soldiers before the crucifixion.

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