What Is 'Holy Saturday' and How Does It Prepare Christians for Easter?

Three crosses on a dark hill for Holy Saturday

Many devout Christians spend the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday attending a variety of services. We also know from Scripture a number of things Jesus did during his last week on this earth; who he spent his time with, and where he visited.

But what about when the church goes dark, and everything falls silent, after the Good Friday service? The hustle and bustle of Holy Week stops. When the body of Christ is taken down from the cross, and Joseph of Arimathea wraps the body in a clean linen cloth and lays Jesus in the tomb meant for him.

Three days. That's how long Jesus stayed in that tomb, lifeless. Friday. Saturday. Sunday. We know details about the crucifixion on Friday and the resurrection on Sunday. But let's take a closer look at Holy Saturday. 

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What Is Holy Saturday?

Its traditional Latin name is Sabbatum Sanctum. A few other names include "Easter Even" and the "Great Sabbath." This is the day the Lord rested, and the church too refrains from activity. It's a time of fasting and mourning, symbolically seated near the tomb, grieving alongside Mary and the disciples.

According to Catholic Culture, "It has been called the 'Second Sabbath' after creation." Silence and reflection is encouraged.

Some Orthodox Churches, including Coptic, Ethiopian and Eritrean call this day "Joyous Saturday," and by others "the night of light and joy."

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When Is Holy Saturday 2024?

For those who use the Western (Gregorian) calendar, Holy Saturday falls on March 30 in 2024. Christians using the Julian calendar observe Holy Saturday on May 4.

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What Happens on Holy Saturday?

On Holy Saturday, there isn't a liturgical service, and the sacraments—with the exceptions of Penance and the Anointing of the Sick—are not practiced.

In homes, the Easter feast is prepared. Around the world, some churches offer blessings over the Easter food. We are a people who know death is defeated, but there's a pensive, serious nature to this day as well.

And in the Bible, the scriptures tell us that the women prepared spices and ointments, so that they could give Jesus a proper burial after the Sabbath (Luke 23:56).

Related: When Is Good Friday 2024?

Is Easter Saturday the Same as Holy Saturday?

The two are the same in that they refer to the same day. Holy Saturday is part of the Easter Tridiuum, along with Holy Thursday and Good Friday. It lines up with the Jewish Sabbath before the Christian Resurrection Sunday.

Holy Saturday is the last day of Lent and the conclusion of Holy Week. It's followed immediately by the Easter Vigil, which begins just before nightfall and must conclude before daybreak. This service is known as a time of "waiting for the Lord" as a church.

Easter Vigils can include lighting of the "new fire," a blessing of the font, the baptism of new converts (if there are any) and the reminder for all Christians to remember their baptism.

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History of Holy Saturday

The Eternal World Television Network - Great Britain (EWTN) states that the Catholic church catechism has historically taught two main teachings about Holy Saturday. First, "Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, 'hell' – Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek – because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God" (Catechism 633).

Secondly, "Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him" (Catechism 633).

Historically, it has been a final day of fasting and penance. As recorded on Catholic.com, a document by Rabanus Maurus (a church writer from the ninth century) offers details about the Holy Saturday service: "The congregation remained silent in the church awaiting the dawn of the Resurrection, joining at intervals in the psalmody and chant and listening to the reading of the lessons."

This matches up with records of how the earliest church observed Holy Saturday as well.

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