Thread by @JewWhoHasItAll

Dear Teachers,

I hope your Pesach preparations are proceeding apace!

As we all prepare for Pesach, some of our Christian students may be preparing for their own week of holidays, which, however, does not coincide with Pesach.

1/31

The week commemorates the last week before their prophet's execution.

This Christian Holy Week is fixed to days of the week according to a special calculation, with the first and last days falling on "Sunday,” the first day of the Gregorian and Julian week.

2/31

Although all Christians follow the same Gregorian calendar they do not all follow the same liturgical calendar, and not all Christians keep the same Holy Week.

Consult GregCal.com for Western Holy Week dates; the Mizrachi Christian calendar will differ.

3/31

Christian students will soon be observing the end of their period of Christian Omer II.

Like the Three Weeks, smachot are discouraged and meat consumption is curtailed.

(Interestingly, they *avoid* meat on Shabbat!)

4/31

However, there are no restrictions on live music, laundering clothing, or swimming for pleasure.

5/31

The end of this period of reflection will culminate in some special observances, much as the Three Weeks culminate in the Nine Days and then Tisha B'Av.

The final week of the Christian Omer II is referred to as "HaShavua HaKadosh.”

6/31

HaShavua HaKadosh begins with "Yom Rishon shel Palm,” which falls on 9 Nisan this year.

You may see Christian shuls having small parades outdoors where they wave lulavs.

They are not confused about the date— they are observing a Christian holiday unrelated to Sukkot.

7/31

They reenact the Christian prophet Yeshu's arrival in Jerusalem, when his followers waved lulavs to welcome him.

No etrog or other citrus is used, and there is no willow or myrtle in the lulav, only a palm branch.

8/31

Many Christians save the palm branches from Yom Rishon shel Palm to be burnt later— but not with their chametz.

They hold it for a year to be burnt for ash for the next year's Yom Wednesday HaAsh.

9/31

On Yom Monday HaKadosh it is customary for Christians to clean their houses in preparation for the upcoming holiday.

Though this day often falls shortly before Pesach, this cleaning is not related to Pesach and does not involve removal of chametz.

10/31

In Jerusalem, Christians visit the Har HaBayit in commemoration of their prophet's disruption of foreign exchange businesses.

However, gelt is not eaten in remembrance of this day.

11/31

On Yom Tuesday HaKadosh, followers of certain Christian minhagim prepare and bless the oil which will be used in religious ceremonies throughout the year. Some other minhagim sanctify their oils on Yom Thursday HaKadosh instead.

12/31

This has nothing to do with Chanukah or the Temple Menorah.

They do not eat fried foods either— that was the other special “Tuesday” called “Fat Tuesday” (Christian Purim).

13/31

Yom Wednesday HaKadosh is also called Espionage Wednesday, because Christians believe the prophet Yeshu was denounced to the Roman occupying authorities on this day by his friend, Yehudah Ish-Kariyot.

14/31

Yom Thursday HaKadosh, is also called "Maundy" by English-speaking Christians. On this day, Christians commemorate their prophet Yeshu's final meal before his execution.

The holiday begins at sunset on Fifth Day, but candles are not lit and no special kiddush is recited.

15/31

Leil Maundy marks the official end of Christian Omer II and beginning of the final days of the week, referred to as "The Three Days,” which are also called "Triduum" in the Christian holy language of Latin.

16/31

A special service is held at Christian shuls, sometimes including a foot washing ceremony, also referred to as "Maundy.”

Although it is a period of mourning that bears some resemblance to Tisha B'Av, leather shoes may be worn.

17/31

Yom Friday HaTov, despite its confusing name, is a day commemorating the execution of the Christian prophet Yeshu. Some Christians commemorate the death of their prophet by reenacting or remembering 12 events from their prophet's final day. It is a somber day of mourning.

18/31

However, unlike on Yom Kippur or Tisha b’Av, the grisly executions of other religious scholars are not mentioned, and unlike Yizkor, it is not considered the appropriate time to mourn departed loved ones.

19/31

Some Christian shuls hold a special service in the afternoon, roughly from chatzot hayom until mincha ketanah, during which Christian kinot may be recited, with drashas on Christian texts.

20/31

Some Christian shuls may hold religious processions involving carrying a large beam with a crossbar, representing the Roman method of execution used on their prophet.

21/31

You may recognize this torture device if you have ever been in a Christian shul.

It is called a “cross” and it has become an important symbol for Christian believers.

22/31

It is sometimes even incorporated into jewelry!

This “cross” sometimes even depicts the wounded and dying Christian prophet attached to it.

23/31

If you see a child wearing this symbol on jewelry, please do not comment.

A special exception to our school’s dress code permits this jewelry due to its religious significance, despite its graphic imagery.

24/31

Some processions in honor of Yom Friday HaTov may involve a person dressed as the Christian prophet.

Even though the person looks injured, please do not call an ambulance.

25/31

The wounds are either fake, as a remembrance of their prophet's wounds, or they are intentionally inflicted and the person will seek medical attention on their own.

The procession may feel shocking, but this is intentional, and it would be impolite to stare or interfere.

26/31

Some Christian students may ask for this day off to participate in religious observances and they should be given an excused absence.

This year, Yom Friday HaTov coincides with Erev Pesach, so school is closed anyway.

27/31

The holy week reaches its end with Yom Shabbat HaGadol veHaKadosh, which, confusingly, does not always fall on the same date as the usual Shabbat HaGadol. This year, it falls on the first day of Pesach.

28/31

Christians believe their prophet was executed on a “Friday” without time to bury him before Shabbat.

Although Christians normally work on Shabbat, on this day Christians do not work in commemoration of the early followers of the prophet who did not bury him on Shabbat.

29/31

Some Christian students may observe this time with a week-long pilgrimage to Jerusalem or Vatican. Most of this week precedes Spring Break so students needing to miss class should provide a note from their Christian rabbi stating they will be out of school in observance.

30/31

The separate Christian holiday of Easter falls during Spring Break, so no accommodations will be necessary.

Thank you again for all your hard work!

Pesach kasher v’sameach!

31/31

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