Holy Week at home
Holy Week runs from Palm Sunday, 21 March, to Easter Sunday, 28 March 2027. Day by day, here is what the Church celebrates, a few simple things to do as a family, and a short prayer. Do what suits your family: one small thing each day is plenty.
- Sunday 21 March
Palm Sunday
Holy Week begins. Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey, and the people wave palm branches and shout “Hosanna!” At Mass we hold blessed palms in the procession and hear the story of Jesus’ Passion.
Family ideas
- Bring the blessed palms home and tuck them behind a crucifix or a holy picture. Blessed palms are treated with respect: old ones are burnt to make next year’s Ash Wednesday ashes.
- Make a palm cross: fold one long strip of palm over a shorter one and tie it with a thin strip. Keep it by the bed for the year.
- Act out the story: one soft toy rides the “donkey” while everyone waves leaves and sings “Hosanna!”
Pray together: Jesus, our King, we welcome You with joy. Come into our hearts and our home this Holy Week, and help us to stay close to You. Amen.
- Mon 22 to Wed 24 March
Monday to Wednesday of Holy Week
Quiet days to get ready for the three holiest days of the year. In Holy Week the Archbishop blesses the holy oils at the Chrism Mass, the oils used in every parish for Baptism, Confirmation and the Anointing of the Sick.
Family ideas
- Spring-clean the home altar or prayer corner together: dust it, put on a fresh cloth, and set the palm cross there.
- Go to Confession if you can (parishes hold extra times in Lent). Little ones can practise saying sorry and making up at home.
- Read John 12:1–8: Mary of Bethany pours sweet perfume on Jesus’ feet to show her love. Smell something lovely and talk about how we show Jesus our love.
Pray together: Jesus, make my heart clean and ready for You, as we make our home ready. I am sorry for the times I have not been kind. Help me to love like You. Amen.
- Thursday 25 March
Holy Thursday
Lent ends, and the Easter Triduum, the three holiest days, begins. In the evening we celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper: we remember the Last Supper, when Jesus gave us the Eucharist and the priesthood, and the priest washes feet as Jesus did. The bells ring at the Gloria and then stay silent until Easter. After Mass, the Blessed Sacrament is carried to the altar of repose, and we can stay and keep Jesus company.
Family ideas
- Wash each other’s feet (or hands) at home: a bowl of warm water and a towel. A grown-up goes first, then read John 13:14–15 together: “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.”
- Have a simple “remembering” meal at dinner with bread and grape juice, and tell the story of the Last Supper. It is not a Mass, and the bread does not become Jesus: only a priest at Mass can do that. We are remembering, and looking forward to Holy Communion.
- After the evening Mass, stay a few minutes at the altar of repose. Jesus asked His friends, “Could you not watch with me one hour?”
Pray together: Lord Jesus, at the Last Supper You gave us Yourself in the Holy Eucharist, and You washed Your friends’ feet. Help us to serve each other with love, as You did. Amen.
- Friday 26 March
Good Friday
The day Jesus died on the cross for us. There is no Mass anywhere in the world today. In the afternoon the Church gathers for the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion: we hear the Passion from St John, pray for the whole world, come forward to kiss or bow to the cross, and receive Holy Communion kept from Holy Thursday.
Family ideas
- Keep it a quiet day. One idea: no screens from 12 noon to 3pm, the hours Jesus was on the cross. Colour, read, rest, or help at home.
- Pray the Stations of the Cross, at church or round the house, with the children’s Stations below.
- At church, kiss the cross (or bow or touch it) to say thank You. At 3pm at home, kneel before a crucifix for a quiet moment.
Pray together: Thank You, Jesus, for loving us so much that You gave Your life for us. By Your holy cross You have saved the world. Amen.
- Saturday 27 March
Holy Saturday
A quiet day of waiting. Jesus lies in the tomb, and the Church waits beside Him, with Mary. There is no Mass during the day, and the altar is bare. After dark, the Easter Vigil begins.
Family ideas
- Decorate Easter eggs. An egg looks like a stone, but new life comes out of it, like Jesus from the tomb.
- Make an “empty tomb” garden: a tray of soil or moss, a small pot on its side for the tomb, a round stone for the door and a little path. Close the stone tonight, and roll it away on Easter morning.
- Get ready for the feast together: tidy the house, set out Easter clothes, and fill a vase with flowers for the table.
Pray together: Mary, our Mother, you waited with faith while Jesus lay in the tomb. Help us to wait with you, and to trust in God’s promises. Amen.
- Sunday 28 March
The Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday
The greatest night of the year! The Easter Vigil begins in the dark with a new fire and the Easter candle, and the light spreads from candle to candle. The Gloria rings out with the bells, and the Alleluia returns. New Christians are baptised. On Easter morning we celebrate: Jesus is risen!
Family ideas
- Say “Alleluia!” loudly before the first Easter meal: we have not said it since Lent began.
- Have an egg hunt with the story: hide eggs with a little sign of the story inside (a leaf for Palm Sunday, a piece of bread, a tiny cross, a stone), and open them in order. The last egg is empty, like the tomb!
- Light a candle at the table (a baptism candle is perfect), because Jesus is the Light of the world. Roll the stone away in the tomb garden and add flowers.
Pray together: Jesus, You are risen! You are alive and with us always. Fill our home with Easter joy. Alleluia, alleluia! Amen.