HOLY SATURDAY

WHAT DO PEOPLE DO?

MANY CHRISTIANS WORLDWIDE OBSERVE HOLY SATURDAY

BY REMEMBERING IT AS THE DAY WHEN JESUS LAY IN THE TOMB.

IT IS A DAY OF BOTH SADNESS AND JOY AMONG CHRISTIANS

IN MANY CULTURES. MANY CHURCHES HOLD AN EASTER VIGIL

(WATCH) SERVICE. DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE MEANING

BEHIND THE RITUALS, PRAYER AND SYMBOLS THAT ARE

ALL PART OF THE EASTER VIGIL OCCUR DURING THESE

SERVICES. SOME CHURCHES ALSO HOLD LARGE BAPTISM

SERVICES ON THIS DAY.

HOLY SATURDAY IS KNOWN AS JUDAS DAY IN MEXICO,

WHERE PEOPLE BURN EFFIGIES OF JUDAS ISCARIOT,

WHO BETRAYED JESUS FOR 30 PIECES OF SILVER.

STREET VENDORS SELL THE EFFIGIES, WHICH RANGE

IN HEIGHT, AND MAKE JUDAS LOOK AS UGLY AS POSSIBLE.

EFFIGIES DESIGNED FOR CHILDREN ARE STUFFED

WITH CANDY AND HUNG IN PATIOS AT PEOPLE’S HOMES.

OTHER EFFIGIES ARE SEEN ON THE STREETS OR

HUNG ON LAMP POSTS. FIRECRACKERS ARE ATTACHED TO

MANY OF THESE EFFIGIES AND ARE IGNITED AS SOON AS THE

MASS OF GLORY IS OVER. CHILDREN SCRAMBLE FOR THE

CANDY INSIDE THE EFFIGIES AFTER THEY EXPLODE.

A CZECH CUSTOM, KNOWN AS WHITE SATURDAY,

IS TO RATTLE KEYS AND BURN OUT JUDAS BY BURNING

THE LAST OF THE HOLY OIL BEFORE THE CHURCH DOOR.

HOLY SATURDAY IS OBSERVED BY THE BLESSING OF

FOOD AND EASTER BASKETS IN POLAND.

CHILDREN IN MANY COUNTRIES SPEND TIME DECORATING AND

COLOURING EGGS ON THE SATURDAY BEFORE EASTER SUNDAY.