Pes-ha Thursday vs Maundy Thursday

 

The traditional name used across the Syro Malabar Church for the Thursday in Passion Week is Pes-ha Vyazham in Malayalam, meaning "Thursday of Pascha." The word Pes-ha is found in both Hebrew and Syriac, and its origin is undeniably Hebrew. It refers to the Passover—the feast that the Israelites celebrated in Egypt on the night before their departure to Canaan. This is the very feast that Isho M’shiha (Jesus the Messiah) celebrated with His disciples on the night He was betrayed. It is this tradition that the Mar Thoma Nasranis of India have faithfully observed to this day.

On the other hand, the term Maundy comes from the Latin word Mandatum, meaning commandment. While this term holds significance in the Christian context—particularly referring to the "new commandment" given by Jesus—it does not bring forward the Jewish roots of the observance. The term Maundy is most commonly associated with the ritual washing of feet, a practice emphasized in Western Christianity. This particular custom was introduced into the Indian Church by Archbishop Menezes in the 16th century and was not part of the original Mar Thoma Nasrani tradition.

In the Syro Malabar Church, the liturgical focus of this day is the solemn celebration of the Holy Qurbana using the most solemn Anaphora  of our Church, Anaphora of Mar Nestorius. It is important to note that our focus is not primarily on the washing of the feet. Ironically, however, most modern representations—be it images or videos—tend to highlight this Western element, overshadowing our own rich liturgical heritage.

Therefore, whether we are speaking in English, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, German, or Swedish, we in the Syro Malabar Church should use the term "Pes-ha Thursday". It is more historically accurate, deeply rooted in our Jewish-Christian heritage, and aligned with the liturgical focus of the day in our tradition. In contrast, the term "Maundy Thursday" is more suitable for Western liturgical practices and does not reflect the unique identity of the Syro Malabar Church. But if you are looking for an English word,instead of Aramaic Pes-ha you can used the word 'Passover'.