Beyond its religious character, Holy Week is A living expression of culture, traditions and art of the peoples where the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is commemorated. Every year, the faithful await this time with devotion to thank you through The elaboration of colorful carpets or fulfill penance loading processional andas.
It is considered that this holiday was initiated by the Jews followers of Christ and the first Christians of Roman origin, who sought to remember their life and legacy. The guide for his commemoration was based on the last dinner that Jesus shared with his disciples during the Jewish Easter, a celebration that is governed by the lunar or Hebrew calendar.
Easter, key event to determine the date of Holy Week and relive the Easter triduum – vierans, Saturday and Holy Domingo – was held in the month of Nisan of the Jewish calendar. This period, according to the Gregorian calendar, usually coincides with the months of March or April, due to the differences between both systems.
Both Jewish and Holy Easter are based on the lunar calendar, which has 354 days, eleven less than the Gregorian calendar, used by most countries. In addition, the Hebrew calendar can be leap, extending up to 385 days. These variations explain why the date of this holiday changes every year.
In this note we explain how this holiday is calculated and what are the most relevant days for believers, as well as the days that are usually considered skilled for rest.
Method for calculating Holy Week
The Holy Week takes place within the liturgical calendar, from Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday. To calculate it, it must be based on the astronomical calculation directly linked to the Christian Easter.
How is Holy Week calculated?
Holy Week is one of the most important celebrations for Christians. Ramos’s Sunday begins and concludes on resurrection Sunday. But did you know that it does not have a fixed date every year? To determine its celebration, a special calculation based on the moon and the arrival of spring is carried out.
This method has been used for a long time, exactly since 325, when Christian bishops gathered in the council of Nicea. There it was established that Easter – that is, on Sunday of Resurrection – it would be held on the first Sunday after the first full moon that occurs after the beginning of spring, which begins on March 21.
Calculation:
- The first full moon that occurs after March 21 is identified.
- The next Sunday after that full moon will be Resurrection Sunday.
- The previous Sunday is called Palm Domingo, and the days between them form Holy Week.
- The most important days of this week are known as the Pascual Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.
Practical example:
In 2025, the first full moon after March 21 will be on Sunday, April 13. The next Sunday will be April 20, and that will be Resurrection Sunday. Therefore, Holy Week of 2025 will be held from April 13 to 20.
Therefore, Holy Week can be held between March 22 and April 25, depending on the lunar cycle of each year.