Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday, known in Spain as Jueves Santo, is the fifth day of Holy Week and the first full day of the Easter Triduum. In 2026, it falls on April 2. The day commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples, the institution of the Eucharist, and the washing of the disciples’ feet as a symbol of humility and service. Spanish Catholic observance traditionally reaches its central liturgical moment in the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, when churches also begin the solemn remembrance of Christ’s Passion.

Jueves Santo became deeply embedded in Spanish religious and civic culture through medieval Holy Week observances, charitable brotherhoods, and the development of penitential confraternities. From the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries onward, especially during the Baroque period, confraternities organized public processions featuring richly decorated pasos, religious sculptures, candles, music, and penitents known as nazarenos or hermanos de luz. These traditions developed distinct regional styles in places such as Seville, Málaga, Valladolid, Zamora, Murcia, and Lorca, making Spanish Holy Week one of the country’s most important expressions of religious heritage and intangible cultural identity.

On Jueves Santo, Spanish churches hold the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, often including the symbolic washing of feet. After the Eucharistic celebration, the consecrated sacrament is placed in a decorated altar of repose, sometimes called the Monumento, where worshippers remain in prayer and quiet visitation. Many people visit several churches during the evening, while processions move through city streets accompanied by marching bands, saetas, incense, candlelight, and the slow movement of pasos carried by costaleros. In Seville and other Andalusian cities, Holy Thursday is among the most significant procession nights of Semana Santa; other regions emphasize solemn silence, drum rhythms, or distinctive local brotherhood customs.

Although Jueves Santo is a solemn religious day rather than a conventional festive holiday, families often gather for seasonal Lenten foods that avoid meat. Common dishes include potaje de vigilia, a stew of chickpeas, spinach, and cod; bacalao prepared in various styles; vegetables, soups, and seafood. Torrijas, Spain’s traditional Easter bread soaked in milk or wine and flavored with cinnamon, are especially associated with Semana Santa, along with regional sweets such as pestiños. Appropriate greetings include "Feliz Semana Santa," "Buen Jueves Santo," or "Que tengas una Semana Santa en paz"; in more observant settings, a respectful reference to prayer, remembrance, and service is more fitting than a purely celebratory greeting.