Maundy Thursday marks the night of the Last Supper. The word Maundy comes from the Latin for command, which refers to the instructions Jesus gave his disciples at the Last Supper. Jesus commanded that people should love one another and encouraged his disciples to eat bread and wine in his memory after his death. Maundy Thursday is part of Holy Week and is always the last Thursday before Easter, it marks the end of Lent.
At the Last Supper, Jesus blessed bread and wine, and shared them with his disciples. He then washed the feet of his disciples as an act of kindness. Oils to be used in religious ceremonies throughout the coming year are blessed on Maundy Thursday.