Holy Week. The week preceding Easter marked, since the 4th century at the latest, by devotion to the *passion of Christ. Beginning with *Palm Sunday, the reenactment of the final events of the gospel narrative progressed through *Maundy Thursday, *Good Friday, and Holy Saturday to *Easter Sunday, and sometimes include liturgical drama as well as special prayers and readings such as Lamentations and the *Servant Songs from Isa. 42–53. In some traditions all paintings and crucifixes are covered.
