Holy Thursday Rituals and Customs

The following information was found in Living With Christ, a monthly Catholic devotional that includes daily Mass readings, reflections, meditations for personal and communal prayer. These thoughts are found in the Holy Week, 2020 issue.
    
Originally, no Eucharist was celebrated during the week before Easter. But, by the fourth  century, some areas where Christians gathered began to celebrate Jesus’ final meal with his disciples on Holy Thursday. This Liturgy was called “Cena Domini”, or “Supper of the Lord”.
 
During the Middle Ages, Christians rang bells throughout the service on Holy Thursday,
then silenced all bells until Easter. Today, bells are often rung during the Gloria on Holy Thursday and then again on Easter.
        
Reconciliation of Penitents was another rite associated with this day, although many Parishes today select a special time within the Lenten season to offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation with multiple confessors.
 
Holy Thursday was also known as “Maudy” Thursday, a term that comes from the Latin “mandatum” which means “commandment”. This term refers to Christ’s Commandment to, ‘love one another’. Foot-washing, according to Christ’s example, symbolizes this commandment, to love and to serve. On this evening when we celebrate Jesus’ giving of himself as food and drink at the Last Supper, we also celebrate his washing of the disciples’ feet, as an example of how we are to serve within our Christian communities and the world!