Maundy Thursday is one of the lesser-known days of the Christian calendar and, were it not for the Maundy Ceremony, would probably have fallen into disuse altogether. It is the day before Good Friday and so is a moveable feast - in 2000 Maundy Thursday falls on 20th April.

THE ORIGINS OF THE FESTIVAL
The word "Maundy" is derived from the Latin mandatum meaning "command" - the same Latin root as mandatory and mandate. This is a reference to Christ's commandment to love one another, made at the Last Supper (the day before the crucifixion) when Jesus washed His disciples' feet.

Maundy Thursday has been celebrated since the earliest days of the Christian church, and the feet of pilgrims were washed by the clergy and nobility from at least the 4th century up until 1754.
Similarly, the giving of alms (gifts of money) to the poor on Maundy Thursday goes back to at least the 12th century and there are continuous records from the reign of Edward I onwards.

TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS
From the 12th century onwards, the reigning sovereign has distributed gifts of money to the "deserving poor" on the Thursday of Holy Week in a ceremony known as the Royal Maundy. The sovereign also used to give food and clothing (later replaced by an allowance), and even washed the recipients' feet - this varied from sovereign to sovereign and the last monarch to do so was James II.

From the 15th century the number of recipients has been the same as the years of the Sovereign's life: in 2000 there will be 74 women and 74 men. These recipients are pensioners selected for faithful service to the Church and the community. The Distribution is in two parts: the red purse contains an allowance in place of the clothing and food given in former times, and the white purse contains in Maundy coin silver pennies, twopences and fourpences, as many pence as the Sovereign is years of age. (Maundy coins are specially minted for the occasion and are legal tender; because thay are produced in such limited numbers they are much sought after by collectors.)

During the ceremony the Queen is accompanied by the Yeomen of the Guard, who carry the trays of Maundy Money in purses, and the "Maundy children" who are selected from local schools to attend her. They all carry posies ("nosegays") of flowers and herbs, a tradition from the time when herbs were believed to protect against infection - King Charles I distributed his Maundy in 1639 during an outbreak of the plague.

Until the reign of the present Queen, all Maundy ceremonies took place in London. On her accession, the Queen decided that the service should take place at a different cathedral every year, chosen from throughout the country. The Queen has distributed Maundy on all but four occasions since coming to the throne in 1952.

The Queen takes part in many other ceremonies, customs and traditions which go back for centuries, including the State Opening of Parliament and Trooping the Colour. The official "Royal" website can be found here.