Tenebrae is a religious service of Western Christianity held during the three days preceding Easter Day, and characterized by gradual extinguishing of candles, and by a "strepitus" or "loud noise" taking place in total darkness near the end of the service.
Fifteen candles on Tenebrae hearse - Antoni Gaudí - Sagrada Família. The candles are extinguished one by one during the course of the service.
"The saddest melody within the whole range of music": the opening of the Tenebrae chanting of the Book of Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah
A modern Tenebrae service in a Catholic church on Spy Wednesday 2019, adapted by, for instance, replacing the 15-candle hearse with individual candlesticks for a much smaller number of candles and omitting the six altar candles
The front cover of a Lutheran church bulletin for Good Friday, describing the significance, as well as the summary of components, of a typical tenebrae service.
Holy Week is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. For all Christian traditions, it is a moveable observance. In Eastern Christianity, which also calls it Great Week, it is the week following Great Lent and Lazarus Saturday, starting on the evening of Palm Sunday and concluding on the evening of Great Saturday. In Western Christianity, Holy Week is the sixth and last week of Lent, beginning with Palm Sunday and concluding on Holy Saturday.
The entry of Jesus and his disciples into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, is the last week of Lent, between Palm Sunday and the dusk of Maundy Thursday. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Palm Sunday along with the Saturday of Lazarus marks the two-day transition between the 40 days of Great Lent and Holy Week.
A Tenebrae liturgy held at a Roman Catholic parish church on Spy Wednesday
The chancel of a Lutheran church decorated with red paraments, the liturgical colour of the last week of Lent, Holy Week, in Lutheran and Anglican Churches
A Washing of Feet ceremony on Holy Thursday in the Armenian Orthodox church
