Royal Maundy is a religious service in the Church of England held on Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday. At the service, the British Monarch or a royal official ceremoniously distributes small silver coins known as "Maundy money" as symbolic alms to elderly recipients. The name "Maundy" and the ceremony itself derive from an instruction, or mandatum, of Jesus at the Last Supper that his followers should love one another. In the Middle Ages, English monarchs washed the feet of beggars in imitation of Jesus, and presented gifts and money to the poor. Over time, additional money was substituted for the clothing and other items that had once been distributed; the custom of washing the feet did not survive the 18th century. Today, Queen Elizabeth II (pictured at the 2005 service) almost always attends, and the service is held in a different church (usually a cathedral) every year. Maundy money is struck in denominations of one penny, two pence, three pence, and four pence. In most years there are fewer than 2,000 complete sets; they are highly sought after by collectors.
Read the rest of this article: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Maundy> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 753 BC: Romulus and Remus founded Rome, according to the calculations by Roman scholar Varro Reatinus. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romulus_and_Remus> 1509: Henry VIII became King of England, following the death of his father Henry VII, eventually becoming a significant figure in the history of the English monarchy. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VIII_of_England> 1863: After the Ottoman Empire exiled him from Baghdad, Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, began his twelve-day stay in the Garden of Ridván where he declared his mission as "He whom God shall make manifest". <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%27u%27ll%C3%A1h> 1960: Brasília , a planned city primarily designed by architect and urban planner Lúcio Costa, was officially inaugurated, replacing Rio de Janeiro as the capital of Brazil. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bras%C3%ADlia> 1975: Nguyễn Văn Thiệu resigned as President of South Vietnam, and was replaced by Tran Van Huong, as communist forces closed in on victory. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguy%E1%BB%85n_V%C4%83n_Thi%E1%BB%87u> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: prelapsarian (adj): Pertaining to the world before the Fall of Adam and Eve <http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/prelapsarian> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day: We define religion as the assumption that life has meaning. Religion, or lack of it, is shown not in some intellectual or verbal formulations but in one's total orientation to life. Religion is whatever the individual takes to be his ultimate concern. One's religious attitude is to be found at that point where he has a conviction that there are values in human existence worth living and dying for. --Rollo May <http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Rollo_May> _______________________________________________ Wikipedia Daily Article mailing list. To unsubscribe, visit: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/daily-article-l Questions or comments? Contact [email protected]
