Holy Saturday trivia

MJ. Smith

Known as:

• Holy Saturday
• Great Sabbath
• Black Saturday
• Easter Saturday (also used for the Saturday after Easter)
• Joyous Saturday
• Saturday of Light
• Holy and Great Saturday
• Gloria Saturday
• Easter Eve

In parts of the Eastern Church, the entire book of Acts of the Apostles is read. In the East and West the readings preceding the first Easter service include a recounting of the history of salvation  - 15 readings in the Byzantine tradition.

Services are generally limited on Holy Saturday. In some Anglican churches, including the Episcopal Church in the United States, provision is made for a simple Liturgy of the Word on this day, with readings commemorating the burial of Christ. Daily Offices are still observed. In the Moravian churches in North America, the day is known as Great Sabbath.

In Byzantine practice Matins of Holy and Great Saturday (in parishes usually held on Friday evening) takes the form of a funeral service for Christ. The entire service takes place around the Epitaphios, an icon in the form of a cloth embroidered with the image of Christ prepared for burial. The first part of the service consists of chanting Psalm 118, as usual at both Saturday matins and at funerals, but interspersed with hymns (enkomia or lamentations) between the verses. The predominant theme of the service is not so much one of mourning, but of watchful expectation:

Today Thou dost keep holy the seventh day,
Which Thou has blessed of old by resting from Thy works.
Thou bringest all things into being and Thou makest all things new,
Observing the Sabbath rest, my Saviour, and restoring strength.

Near the end of matins, at the end of the Great Doxology, the Epitaphios is taken up and carried in procession around the outside of the church, while the Trisagion is sung, as is done when carrying the body to the cemetery in an Orthodox burial.