I haven’t found one holiday season that has more names for its days then Easter. These names have been gleaned from various countries, but mainly England. Some of the names have been carried over to the United States by different cultures. Often the names for a day, come from localities where foods, or games, have been traditionally used during this season. Some are no longer in use. And many come from the church itself.
The Pre-Lent Sundays, called by the Latin names, Septuagesima (70 days before Easter), Sexagesima (60 days), Quinquagesima (50 days), or sometimes called Shrove Sunday in preparation for Lent. The names are ancient and have been instituted for penitential observance.
The three days before Lent (derived from the Old English “lencten,” meaning “springtime”) are called Shrovetide, a season of carnival celebrated with revelries, sports, games and dances, before a season of penance.
During the Middle Ages, the Monday of Shrovetide was referred to as Blue Monday, when churches were decorated with blue hangings, or Black Monday due to disastrous events in England’s history. In certain areas it was called Collup Monday, a dish of eggs and collup (bacon) or Shrove Monday or Nickanan Night, when young boys pulled pranks.
Tuesday of Shrovetide is called Carnival Day, from the Latin “carnevale,” meaning farewell to meat. Mardi Gras, (French words meaning Fat Tuesday) is celebrated in America’s New Orleans, Louisiana.
Since certain foods, like meat, butter, cheese, milk, eggs, fats and bacon, weren’t to be eaten during the Lenten season, there were many names for the day.
It was Pancake Day in England, also in Liberal, Kansas in the United States. The Pennsylvania Dutch called the day Fastnacht (fast night) or Doughnut Day and a failure to eat one could result in bad luck. Some places in Scotland and England called it Fasten’s E’en, the Eve of the Fast. In Scotland it was also called Bannock Day, a flat cake made of oatmeal and barley. It was also known as Guttit Tuesday or Goodish Day, due to all the feasting of good foods.
In parts of England, it was Sharp Tuesday, When boys threw stones against people’s front door. It was also known as Shrove Tuesday when priests shrove (pardoned) the penitents.
The first day of Lent is called Ash Wednesday, so called from the custom of the priest sprinkling ashes on the forehead, as a symbol of penitence. The season of Lent is called Lengten-Tide, when days start to lengthen. The original period of Lent was 40 hours spent in fasting to commemorate Christ’s 40 hours of suffering. This fasting period was once called Quarantine, from which we received the term we use.
The First Sunday in Lent is Quadragesima Sunday, 40 days before Easter. Also known as Invocabit, for the Introit of the day. The Second Sunday in Lent is Reminiscere and Third Sunday in Lent is known as Oculi for the Introits of the day.
The Fourth Sunday in Lent is our Mid-Lent Sunday, where in parts of Europe, it was the custom to break the Lenten fast with celebration. In England it was called Mothering Sunday, when working children returned home with treats for mothers and a visit to their “mother church.” Sometimes the day was called Braggot Sunday, a special ale. In churches it was Laetare (from the Latin Introit) or the German name Rose Nonntage (Sunday of the Rose). It derives from the custom of blessing the golden rose (an ornament of wrought gold) on this day.
The Fifth Sunday in Lent is called Passion Sunday and signifies the suffering of Christ and the Crucifixion. It is also know as Judicia Sunday, for the Latin Introit. In Scotland it is Passion or Carling Sunday, when carlings (peas soaked in water and dried until parched) were eaten.
The last two weeks of Lent are called Passiontide and the week before Easter is Passion Week, Holy Week, or Great Week.
The Sixth Sunday in Lent is the Second Sunday of Passion, or Palm Sunday, the day Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem is commemorated. When Romans were victorious in battle, the returning heroes were welcomed by strewing palms in their path. Thus, it was for Jesus’ entry (John 12:13). It was also called Fig Sunday, from a fig pudding made on this day. It related to scripture when Jesus’ cursed the barren fig tree.(Mark 12)
Wednesday of Holy Week is called Spy Wednesday, or Holy Wednesday, the day Judas agreed to show the priests where Jesus could be found.
Thursday of Holy Week is called Holy Thursday or Maundy (from two sources: Latin “mandatum Novum Do Bovis,” which relates to the custom of carrying gifts to the poor in maunds (food baskets) or the words from John 13:34: “A new commandment I give to you.” The Latin term “mandatum” meaning command. It is applied to the rite of feet washing, thus The Day of Foot Washing. The day commemorates the institution of the Last Supper.
A German name is Grundonnerstag, or Green Thursday, when dandelion greens and bacon dressing is made.
It was also called Pure or Clean Thursday, a cleansing day of the body in preparation for Easter. Still another name was Maundy Thursday Tenebrae, meaning “all in darkness,” a service of extinguishing the altar candles, which symbolized the growing darkness when Christ was taken. The ceremonial cleansing of altars is called Shere or Chare Thursday.
The Friday of Holy Week is called Good Friday (good meaning holy) in commemoration of Christ’s crucifixtion. In some places it was called Long Friday, possibly due to the long fasts. It was also referred to as Pascha, derived from a Hebrew word meaning, the Passover. Easter eggs are also known as “pasch eggs.”
The Saturday before Easter is known as Holy Saturday, Egg Saturday, or Easter Eve.
The name Easter itself comes from Saxon oster, “to rise. It is a movable holiday and can occur between March 22 and April 25. It is also called Pasch Egg Day, eggs being the symbols of the church of the resurrection (new life). Easter activities can include dinners, parades, and wearing your Easter bonnets and egg hunts.
The day after Easter is Easter Monday, a day of sports, games and fun or Hock Monday in some European countries. Hungary calls it Ducking Monday when young men actually throw girls in a pond. Poland calls it Dingus or Smigus, where people of opposite sexes exchanged clothes. In rural England it was Binding Monday, when women bind their husband’s and demand money (given to the church) for their release.
The Tuesday after Easter is Hock Tuesday or Binding Tuesday, this time the menin rural England bind the women and demand money for their release. The two days together are Hocktide.
The Sunday following the “high” feast of Easter is called Low Sunday or Low Easter Day, when church services are back to normal or the Latin, Quasimodo Sunday for the Introit of the day.
Carole Christman Koch grew up in Berks County and has been published in numerous publications. She has a passion for writing and has many stories from growing up on a farm to raising children to humorous stories about her and her husband to everyday stories to season stories and more.
