Tenebrae Service

Tenebrae is a Christian church service that is held on the evenings of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, which are the final three days leading up to Easter Sunday. Tenebrae is mostly celbrated in the Western Church, but not widely in the Catholic Church. The name is also used for various Holy Week services within Protestant denominations. The practice of Tenebrae came out of the Middle Ages.

Fast Facts:

1. The word Tenebrae is a Latin word for "Darkness" or "Shadows"
2. One of the main events of a Tenebrae Service is the gradual extinguishing of candles and other lights in the church until only a single candle, considered a symbol of [[Jesus of Nazareth|Jesus Christ remains
3. Near the end of the services the remaining candle is hidden, symbolizing the apparent victory of the forces of evil... then, at the very end a loud noise is made, symbolizing the earthquake at the time of the resurrection. The hidden candle is restored to its place and by its light the congregation usually exits in silence

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