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Holy Week
noun
: the week before Easter during which the last days of Christ's life are commemorated
Examples of Holy Week in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The disaster occurred during Holy Week, which marks the lead-up to Easter and the end of Lent for Catholics.
—Cassidy Jensen, Baltimore Sun, 26 Mar. 2024
An archpriest, ordained for over 10 years, Bock, 66, shared with The Arizona Republic some of the traditions and customs Eastern Orthodox Christians adhere to during their Lenten and Holy Week.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 4 May 2024
In Playas de Tijuana, Holy Week celebrations brought hundreds of colorful umbrellas to the beach and the sounds of banda and norteño music across the sand, the border fence serving as a constant background.
—Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
And so would be, especially during Holy Week, the place of Jews today.
—James Carroll, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2024
Every easter, Antigua’s Holy Week processions are the most mesmerizing on earth (outside of perhaps Seville, Spain's).
—Claire Boobbyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Apr. 2024
The Pope has been leading Holy Week liturgies, presiding over five since Thursday, including an Easter Vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday which lasted more than two hours.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024
Surrounded by the splendor of the Vatican and 35,000 blooms supplied by Dutch florists, Francis appeared steady if occasionally labored while speaking, after skipping or reducing his participation in several events during Holy Week leading up to Easter.
—Anthony Faiola, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2024
The continuation of Holy Week masses will commence at the Cathedral of Saint Mary in Little River, which is the Mother Church of the Catholic Archdiocese of Miami.
—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Holy Week.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1710, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near Holy Week
Cite this Entry
“Holy Week.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Holy%20Week. Accessed 16 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
Holy Week
noun
: the week before Easter
More from Merriam-Webster on Holy Week
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Holy Week
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