Maundy Thursday... Tradition Continues After 600 Years

Dating back to around 600 AD, the ancient tradition of the British monarch as head of the Church Of England distributing gifts on Maundy Thursday continued today, Thursday April 13th.

 Queen Elizabeth travelled to Leicester Cathedral...Yay! Where my family is from...to give gifts of specially minted coins called Maundy Money to 91 men and 91 women...traditional pensioners who are chosen by the cathedral for their good character and good works.  The count always coincides to the years of age of the monarch...in this case Queen Elizabeth turning 91.

 The coins are presented to each recipient in a leather purse. The ancient tradition was derived from giving alms just before Easter as a demonstration of the humility of Christ, the monarch and desire to help the poor, although now it is ceremonial. But to a Christian like Queen Elizabeth, a privilege and a meaningful tradition.

 All the photos here are from various of the Monarchy's social media sites. This is from Twitter showing the Royal Standard above Leicester Cathedral. My grandmother Emma was baptized there in 1881.

Long Live the Queen!