History of Holy Saturday

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. (Matthew 27:61). Image: A Catholic Moment

History of Holy Saturday

The final day of Holy Week, the last day of Lent, is the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. It is known as Holy Saturday.

In Latin, it’s Sabbatum Sanctum, but it’s also known as Great and Holy Saturday, Low Saturday, the Great Sabbath, Hallelujah Saturday (in Portugal and Brazil), Saturday of the Glory, Easter Eve, Joyous Saturday, the Saturday of Light (among Coptic Christians), Good Saturday, or Black Saturday.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Moravian church, it is known as Holy and Great Saturday, and is also called The Great Sabbath because Jesus “rested” physically in the tomb on this day.

Christians in the Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, and some Methodist churches celebrate the Easter Virgil service on this day with sombre meditation.

What is the significance of Holy Saturday, what did Jesus do on this day according to the biblical account, and how is it celebrated?

Harrowing of Hell

Harrowing of Hell.

They commemorate the Harrowing of Hell, from that passage of the Apostles’ Creed that states about Jesus’ spirit:

“He descended into hell (Greek: hades).”

Following this, he was raised up to Paradise, having liberated those who had been held captive.

“When he ascended on high, he led a host of captives, and gave gifts to men… What does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.” (Ephesians 4:8)

Christians in the Reformed and Methodist churches might celebrate the Easter Vigil on this day or hold an Easter Sunrise Service on the following day. The Latin word vigilia means “wakefulness,” and came to be used when the faithful stayed awake to pray and do devotional exercises in anticipation of the feast.

In the Moravian Church, believers decorate the graves with flowers in “God’s Acre,” the churchyard’s burial ground.

The early church celebrated the end of Lent with large baptismal ceremonies, and many churches continue to do so today, during the three-day Easter period called the Paschal Triduum: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.

The Biblical Account of Holy Saturday

The Gospel of Matthew relates what happened to Jesus after he died on the cross on Good Friday.

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph [a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin], who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. (Matthew 27:57-61)

It goes on to explain what happened on Holy Saturday. After sundown on Friday, which marked the beginning of the Jewish Saturday, the Chief Priests and Pharisees visited Pontius Pilate. They asked Pilate for a guard for Jesus’ tomb. They recalled Jesus stating that He would rise again in three days (John 2:19-21) and wanted to ensure that Jesus’ disciples would not steal Jesus’ body from the grave. Matthew relates that at the Resurrection the following day,

“there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.”

The Holy Fire in Jerusalem

Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem by Gerd Eichmann. Image: Wikipedia

At the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the traditional location of Jesus’ grave, a practice that began in 1106, continues today. The Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem reads a prayer, and believers gathered there chant

“Κύριε ελέησον.”

The Greek phrase “Kýrie, eléison” means “Lord, have mercy.”

Then, the “Holy Fire” descends on a lamp of olive oil held by the Patriarch while he is alone in the tomb chamber of Jesus, inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the 14th and last “Station of the Cross” along the Via Dolorosa.

Holy Fire in Jerusalem. Image: Wikipedia

Reportedly, the fire also spontaneously lights other lamps and candles around the church. Before entering Jesus’ Tomb, the patriarch is inspected by Israeli authorities to ensure he does not carry the means to light the fire himself.

The Holy Fire in Florence

The renowned Scoppio del carro (“explosion of the cart”) in Florence is a centuries-old tradition that traces its origins to the First Crusades in Jerusalem. How did this celebration begin?

The tradition commenced after Pazzino de’ Pazzi, a member of a prominent Florentine family, became the first individual to ascend the walls of Jerusalem in 1097, thereby recapturing the city. In recognition of his valor, his bravery was rewarded with three flints obtained from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Jesus was crucified and buried.

Explosion of the Cart, Florence. Image: Tuscany Now and More

In homage to the Jerusalem tradition of distributing Holy Fire to purify the crusaders on Easter Saturday, the Pazzi flints were transported back to Florence to ignite fireworks in celebration. While the tradition had declined in popularity over time, it was recently reinstated by the local government of Florence as a means of preserving cultural heritage.

Here’s a video of the tradition.

Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood historian
billpetro.com