Triduum
Triduum is from the Latin triduum,
“a space of three days” and is used most often for the Easter Triduum,
which includes Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter
Sunday. That may seem like 4 days but it actually begins Holy Thursday
evening with the celebration of the Mass of Lord’s Supper and ends at
sundown Sunday (day 1 = Thursday sundown to Friday sundown; day 2 =
Friday sundown to Saturday sundown; day 3 = Saturday sundown to Sunday
sundown). Since the core and center of the Paschal Mystery (the life,
death and resurrection of Jesus) is celebrated in these sacred three
days, the Easter Triduum is considered the culmination of the entire
liturgical year. The term is less often used in a general sense for any
three-day period of special observance to prepare for the celebration of
a feast by prayer, to give thanks for special blessings, or to
acknowledge and honor extraordinary occasions or events. |
