A confraternity of penitents leads a Holy Wednesday procession in Villarreal, Spain (2015)
Also called
Spy Wednesday Good Wednesday Holy and Great Wednesday
Observed by
Christians
Type
Christian
Significance
commemorates the Bargain of Judas and the Parable of the Two Debtors
Observances
Mass; Tenebrae
Date
Wednesday before Easter
2023 date
April 5 (Western)
April 12 (Eastern)
2024 date
March 27 (Western)
May 1 (Eastern)
2025 date
April 16 (Western)
April 16 (Eastern)
2026 date
April 1 (Western)
April 8 (Eastern)
Frequency
annual
Related to
Holy Week
Miércoles Santo (Holy Wednesday) in Cádiz, Spain
In Christianity, Holy Wednesday commemorates the Bargain of Judas as a clandestine spy among the disciples.[1] It is also called Spy Wednesday,[2] or Good Wednesday (in Western Christianity),[3] and Great and Holy Wednesday (in Eastern Christianity).
In Western Christianity many churches of various denominations observe the tenebrae service on Holy Wednesday.[4][5][6]
^Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2020. Loyola Press. 2019. ISBN 978-0-8294-4897-9.
^McKim, Donald K. (1996). Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms. Westminster John Knox Press. p. 269. ISBN 9780664255114. Spy Wednesday: The Wednesday of Holy Week, so named from its being the day on which Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ (Matt. 26:14–16).
^Halsey, William Darrach (1981). Collier's Encyclopedia with Bibliography and Index. Macmillan Educational Corporation. Among English-speaking peoples the Wednesday of Holy Week is called variously Good Wednesday, Holy Wednesday, Spy Wednesday (referring to the activities of Judas Iscariot), and Wednesday before Easter.
^Black, Vicki K. (October 2004). Welcome to the Church Year. Church Publishing. p. 78. ISBN 978-0-8192-1966-4. Also, in many places you will find the service of Tenebrae offered on one of these early weekdays of Holy Week, most often on Wednesday evening.
^Cite error: The named reference PECUSA2018 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Kosloski2018 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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