Holy Week is the climax of the liturgical year and is the holiest of weeks on the Christian calendar. It commemorates the last week of Jesus’ earthly life and his Passion, death and resurrection.
Some days of Holy Week have special names, such as Good Friday, Spy Wednesday, and Palm Sunday.
Does Tuesday have a special name?
The official Latin name for the Tuesday of Holy week is FeriaIIIHebdomadaeSanctae, which is literally translated, “3rd Day of Holy Week.”
If Sunday is the first day of the week, then Tuesday is considered the third day.
More commonly it is called Tuesday of Holy Week or even Holy Tuesday.
Eastern Christians call it Great Tuesday, as it is part of Great Week, their name for Holy Week.
In the liturgy, the Church typically recalls a few different events that happened in Jesus’ life after Palm Sunday, such as the “Lesson of the Fig Tree,” and a “Parable on the Mount of Olives.”
Tuesday of Holy Week may not have a unique name, but it still helps prepare us for the Holy Triduum that is about to begin.