What is Holy Saturday; know the date, history and significance of Easter Vigil

Holy Saturday is observed a day before Easter Sunday commemorating the day Jesus Christ was buried in a tomb. It marks end of Lent, a 40-day period of preparation and fasting before Easter. Holy Saturday is the time when devout prepare themselves physically and spiritually before celebration of Christ’s resurrection. It is observed a day after Good Friday and this year it falls on April 16. (Also read: Good Friday 2022: Date, history, significance of Christians’ Easter Friday)

There are different customs associated with Holy Saturday, also known as Easter Vigil. The day is known as Judas Day in Mexico and people burn effigies of Judas Iscariot who is known to have betrayed Jesus. As per the Czech custom, this day is called White Saturday. There is also a vigil service on the day, an hour after sundown, that marks the wait before the resurrection.

The celebrations also include lighting fires and candles that denote Christ’s passing from death to life. It also includes tolling of bells to signify the end of Lent.

In many other parts of the world the day is spent making preparations for Easter, colouring eggs and decorations.

It is said that after the death of Jesus Christ, his body was taken down from the cross and placed in a freshly prepared tomb. The ancient scriptures had prophesied that Christ would be resurrected on the third day. The custom of those times was to anoint the body with special oils and spices on the third day of somebody’s death. On the third day, when Mary Magdalene, Salome and Mary visited the cave where Christ’s body had been laid, they were amazed to find that the body was missing and only the cloths that had covered him were there. It was only a week later than Christ revealed himself and confirmed that he had arisen.