Previous
Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles, falling every year on the day before Good Friday.
2. Germany: Eat your spinach
Germany goes green on Maundy Thursday (and coincidentally, the nation is also going Green politically this year). Writing in the California newspaper the Lodi News Sentinel, pastor Chris Townsend explains how the traditions of Gründonnerstag came about through a corruption of the word grun:
The German word "to mourn" (grun) is very similar to the word "green" (grün). So in much of Germany, Maundy Thursday is a day to eat spinach and green salad (Gründonnerstag). This is not the only reason for eating greens, though. A traditional Jewish Passover meal is celebrated with karpas (a green vegetable, usually parsley) and bitter herbs.
These comments are not screened before publication. Constructive debate about the above story is welcome, but personal attacks are not. Please do not post comments that are commercial in nature or that violate any copyright[s]. Comments that we regard as obscene, defamatory, or intended to incite violence will be removed. If you find a comment offensive, you may flag it.