Christian
Maundy Thursday 2026 मौंडी थर्सडे
Day of the Last Supper
Thursday, 2 April 2026
Maundy Thursday recalls the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his disciples and opens the three holiest days of the Christian year before Easter.
How the date is fixed: Thursday before Easter Sunday; Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after 21 March
Why Maundy Thursday is celebrated
Christians remember Maundy Thursday as the night Jesus shared his last meal with the twelve apostles before his arrest. During that meal, the Gospels say, he washed their feet and asked them to love one another as he had loved them. The name "Maundy" comes from the Latin word "mandatum", meaning commandment, after this teaching.
The day also recalls the start of Holy Communion, when Jesus blessed bread and wine and shared them. It begins the Easter Triduum, the three days that lead from Good Friday to Easter Sunday.
History and story of Maundy Thursday
Easter moves each year because it follows the moon. It falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after 21 March, so Maundy Thursday comes three days earlier. In 2026, Easter is on 5 April and Maundy Thursday on 2 April.
How Maundy Thursday is celebrated
Churches hold an evening Mass or service. The priest washes the feet of twelve people to copy Jesus's act of humility. After the service, the altar is stripped bare, and many believers stay for silent prayer late into the night.
In Kerala, Syrian Christian families call the day Pesaha. They bake a flat unleavened bread, Pesaha appam, marked with a cross of palm leaves from Palm Sunday, and eat it with a sweet coconut milk drink called Pesaha paal. Churches in Goa, Mumbai, Chennai and the North East hold similar services, and Dehradun's churches hold Maundy Thursday Mass for local Christians.
Important days and moments
- Mass of the Lord's Supper (Evening of Thursday, 2 April 2026)
Church service recalling the Last Supper, with the washing of feet and Holy Communion. - Pesaha meal (Night of Maundy Thursday (Kerala))
Syrian Christian families share Pesaha appam and coconut milk Pesaha paal, with prayers led by the eldest member. - Good Friday (Friday, 3 April 2026)
The next day recalls the crucifixion of Jesus and is a gazetted holiday in India.
Other names and related festivals
- Covenant Thursday
- Holy Thursday
- Pesaha Vyazham
Good Friday 3 Apr 2026
Frequently asked questions
When is Maundy Thursday in 2026?
Maundy Thursday falls on Thursday, 2 April 2026.
Is Maundy Thursday a bank holiday?
Banks close for Maundy Thursday in Kerala in 2026, following the RBI holiday list of each region. Banks in other states stay open unless the day is a Sunday or a second or fourth Saturday. Pick your state below to check.
Which state governments close for Maundy Thursday?
State government offices close for Maundy Thursday in Kerala in 2026. Pick your state below for its full holiday list.
Where is Maundy Thursday a restricted holiday?
Maundy Thursday is a restricted (optional) holiday for state government employees in Goa in 2026: employees may take it off, but offices stay open.
Is Maundy Thursday a central government holiday?
No. Maundy Thursday is not a holiday for central government offices in 2026.
Is the stock market closed on Maundy Thursday?
No. Maundy Thursday is not a trading holiday on NSE and BSE in 2026.
What are the other names of Maundy Thursday?
Maundy Thursday is also known as Covenant Thursday, Holy Thursday, Pesaha Vyazham.
What does Maundy mean?
Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum, meaning commandment. It refers to Jesus's instruction at the Last Supper that his followers should love one another.
Is Maundy Thursday a holiday in India?
No. It is a religious observance for Christians. Good Friday, the following day, is the gazetted holiday.
What is Pesaha in Kerala?
Pesaha is the Kerala Christian name for Maundy Thursday. Families eat a special unleavened bread and coconut milk drink at home after prayers.
Next Christian festivals (30 days)
No other festival in the next 30 days.
Major Christian festivals
- 25 DecFri
Christmas - 3 AprFriGood Friday
- 5 AprSun
Easter Sunday
Upcoming central government holidays
Holidays in your state
Bank, state government and school holidays differ from state to state. Pick your state:
Holidays and festivals calendar: October and November 2026
Central government holidays for all of India and major festivals. For bank, state government and school holidays, open your state: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal.
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Friday, 2 October Gandhi Jayanti Gandhi Jayanti on 2 October marks the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of India's freedom struggle and the voice of truth and non-violence. |
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Sunday, 11 October Sharad Navratri Sharad Navratri is the nine night autumn festival of the Goddess Durga, beginning with Ghatasthapana and leading up to Dussehra, with fasting, prayer, garba... |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17
Saturday, 17 October Durga Puja Durga Puja celebrates Goddess Durga's victory over the demon Mahishasura with grand pandals, dhak drums, prayers and feasts, especially in West Bengal and ea... |
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Tuesday, 20 October Dussehra Dussehra, or Vijayadashami, celebrates the victory of good over evil, recalling Lord Rama's defeat of Ravana and Goddess Durga's triumph over Mahishasura. |
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Sunday, 8 November Diwali Diwali, the festival of lights, celebrates the victory of light over darkness with Lakshmi Puja, rows of diyas, sweets and family gatherings on the new moon... |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15
Sunday, 15 November Chhath Puja Chhath Puja is a four day festival of Bihar and eastern India in which devotees fast and offer arghya to the setting and rising Sun while standing in water. |
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Tuesday, 24 November Guru Nanak Jayanti Guru Nanak Jayanti, or Prakash Purab, celebrates the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism, with prayers, nagar kirtans, langar and lit up gurdw... |
25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
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Public holiday Major festival Today
- Sat, 17 Oct
Durga Puja - Tue, 20 Oct
Dussehra - Sun, 8 Nov
Diwali - Sun, 15 Nov
Chhath Puja - Tue, 24 Nov
Guru Nanak Jayanti