Orthodox Holy Week is now at its midpoint, and for hundreds of millions of faithful worldwide, the most intense days are just ahead. Eastern Orthodox Christians observe Maundy Thursday - known in their tradition as Great and Holy Thursday - on April 9, 2026.
If you have been following along with Orthodox Holy Week, Wednesday was already a deeply sacred day - the Sacrament of Holy Unction and the last chance for confession before Pascha. Thursday takes things even further.
Two Services. One Unforgettable Night.
The primary morning service on Great and Holy Thursday is the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great, combined with Vespers - one of the most ancient and solemn liturgies in the Orthodox tradition.
But the evening is where the night becomes extraordinary.
On the evening of Great and Holy Thursday, the Service of the Twelve Passion Gospels is read - twelve consecutive Gospel readings narrating the events from the Last Supper through the crucifixion and burial of Christ. This service typically lasts two to three hours. The faithful stand through most of it, holding lit candles, moving only when the priest signals each of the twelve readings.
What Is Being Remembered
The events of Holy Thursday - the final Passover meal, the washing of feet, the time of prayer and arrest at the Garden of Gethsemane - are all recorded across all four Gospels. For Orthodox Christians, these are not stories to be read passively. They are events to be entered into, liturgically and spiritually, year after year.
Jesus's words from the Last Supper still echo through every Orthodox Holy Thursday service: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another - as I have loved you." - John 13:34
A Unique Tradition: The Red Eggs
In Greek Orthodox tradition, Holy Thursday is also when Easter eggs are traditionally dyed red - symbolizing the blood of Christ. What many in the West associate with Easter morning actually begins the night before Pascha even arrives.
Why This Night Matters
Holy Thursday bridges the joy of the Last Supper with the grief of what comes next. For Orthodox believers, the candles held through the Twelve Passion Gospels are not just ceremonial - they are a declaration that light persists even in the darkest hours of the story.
Pascha is still three days away. But tonight, the faithful stand and bear witness.
Orthodox Pascha falls on Sunday, April 12, 2026.
Related Article: Orthodox Holy Week 2026: What Happens Each Day From Palm Sunday to Pascha
