Easter Supper on Maundy Thursday, or the Second Night of Passover

Elin and Emmanuel, Sophie and Lukas were over for an early Easter dinner last night. Their schedules are so complicated at the moment—Emmanuel works all through the weekend and Sophie and Lukas are going down to Magog for Easter Sunday chez son Grandpapa Mercier—that Thursday night was the only one everyone was free.

There was a certain fittingness about it though, I thought, as our Jewish neighbors celebrated the second night of Passover. Maundy Thursday was the evening of the Last Supper, which was a Passover Seder.

Of course, none of us are believers in the usual sense, but knowing about religions does help make sense of the world we’re living in, we agreed as we talked about the links between observances. The orthodox churches, who insist that Easter before the end of Passover doesn’t make sense, won’t be celebrating until April 19. although next year and 2011, the Easters coincide.

Here's the Gospel reference, for those who're interested in cultural convergence (or is it divergence?)

Mark 14:12-21

12 And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the passover lamb, his disciples said to him, "Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the passover?"
13 And he sent two of his disciples, and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him,
14 and wherever he enters, say to the householder, `The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I am to eat the passover with my disciples?'
15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us."
16 And the disciples set out and went to the city, and found it as he had told them; and they prepared the passover.
17 And when it was evening he came with the twelve.
18 And as they were at table eating, Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me."
19 They began to be sorrowful, and to say to him one after another, "Is it I?"
20 He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me.
21 For the Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born."