Holy Week begins

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Palm Sunday: Jesus once rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, as shown by Hermann Bidner in his Passion Nativity scene in Villach-Völkendorf.

(Bild: Rojsek-Wiedergut Uta)

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, which culminates in the highest festival of Christians: Easter. What did the few followers experience that is still essential for 2.5 billion Christians today?

Countless people around the world have been tortured, executed and murdered. But the death of a person remains unforgotten, is described in books, re-enacted in films and sung about in songs. Every year, billions of believers remember the events surrounding the death of Jesus, which took place around 2000 years ago - Jesus was probably executed between the years 30 and 33. Because of the mourning and lamentation, his last week on earth has been given the name Holy Week, based on the Old High German kara. This Holy Week begins with today's Palm Sunday.

On this day, Jesus entered Jerusalem: he rode on a donkey, the people cheered him and laid a carpet for him made of palm leaves. Because we don't have any palms, we take willows, tie the branches into bushes and have them blessed in the churches on Palm Sunday. Palm catkins are believed to have enormous powers of blessing: they are said to protect people and livestock from illness and storms and ensure a rich harvest.

On Monday and Tuesday, Jesus went to the temple, drove out the merchants, healed the sick, taught the people - and incurred the wrath of the high priests.

The most famous meal in world history
On Maundy Thursday, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, which some priests still do today as a sign of their service to the people. Afterwards, the apostles and Jesus retired for the Last Supper - the Last Supper, at which Jesus broke and shared the bread according to Jewish tradition: "This is my body, which is given for you" (Matthew 26).

Pontius Pilate condemns Jesus: Hermann Bidner built a classic temple.

(Bild: Uta Rojsek-Wiedergut)

Maundy Thursday is one of the most misunderstood special days: it has nothing to do with the spring-like color green and the spinach that is so popular on this day. Rather, its name goes back to the Middle High German word "greinen", which stood for weeping. For it was on Maundy Thursday that Jesus was taken prisoner on the Mount of Olives. As a sign of mourning, after the eyes, which can no longer see the magnificent altars because of the hunger cloths, the ears also fast: The organ and bells fall silent until the resurrection. The saying goes: they are flying to Rome. It is not clear why they should do this, perhaps they want the Pope's blessing "Urbi et Orbi", which is given on Easter Sunday.

On Good Friday, Jesus was tortured, flogged, scourged and sentenced to death - for blasphemy. The offense was written on a plaque on the cross: INRI - Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. The maltreated man had to carry the crossbeam up to Golgotha. The farmer Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus with the heavy burden, Veronica wiped the sweat and blood from his face on his last journey - Jesus' face is said to have been miraculously imprinted on the cloth.

Veronica with the sweat cloth on Jesus' Way of the Cross.

(Bild: Uta Rojsek-Wiedergut)

Jesus was crucified on Golgotha with two other delinquents around midday. At the ninth hour, three hours later and therefore unusually quickly for this cruel form of execution, Jesus died. The body was taken down from the cross and buried in a rock tomb.

The Pietà - which means compassion - is the depiction of Jesus' mother with the body of her son taken down from the cross.

(Bild: Uta Rojsek-Wiedergut)

On Holy Saturday, the tomb is laid to rest - and we prepare for the resurrection celebration: The Easter snack is carried into the churches in large baskets and blessed. After the 40-day fasting period, meat, eggs and "Reindling" are served again - according to the old custom, only after the resurrection celebrations and after the Easter heap has been heated, i.e. during the night, when shots of joy echo through the air. For on Easter Sunday, the women opened Jesus' tomb and found it empty - as he had announced, he had risen on the third day and ascended to heaven, where he sits at the right hand of God, as it says in the Apostles' Creed.

The story of Jesus and his words move around one in three people on earth today. Artists and craftspeople have been and continue to be inspired by it.

Famous Passion on display in Villach until April 1
Hermann Bidner has depicted detailed scenes from Palm Sunday to the Resurrection in his Passion Nativity scene with 91 figures in over 260 hours of work. The impressive work can be seen until April 1st in the parish of Villach-St. Nikolai.