I want to make a quiz about Holy Week.

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

That is an excellent idea. Holy Week—known in our Church as Pascha Week—is the most profound and spiritually significant time for Coptic Orthodox Christians.

Here is a quiz designed to test knowledge of our rites, theology, and the history of this "Week of Weeks."

Coptic Holy Week Quiz

1. On what day do we pray the general Funeral Prayer, and why is it performed?

• Answer: It is prayed on Palm Sunday immediately following the Divine Liturgy. This is done because no incense is raised and no funeral prayers are performed for the deceased during Holy Pascha Week, as the Church is entirely focused on the sufferings and death of our Lord.

2. Which heretic from history is specifically remembered and warned against during the Coptic Pascha, particularly through the chant (Judas the Lawless)?

• Answer: Judas Iscariot. The hymn contrasts his betrayal with the devotion of the Church, serving as a warning against greed and spiritual treachery.

3. What is the significance of the "Liturgy of the Waters" performed on Covenant Thursday?

• Answer: This is the Lakkan service. It commemorates our Lord washing the feet of His disciples, demonstrating humility and the necessity of purification. It is one of three times in the year the Church performs a Lakkan service.

4. Why is the Liturgy of the Eucharist NOT celebrated on Good Friday?

• Answer: Because the Sacrifice of the Cross is the one, true, and sufficient Sacrifice being enacted "mystically" on that day. The Liturgy is a participation in that Sacrifice, but on Good Friday, we stand at the foot of the Cross itself.

5. What is the name of the special book used for all the readings, hymns, and prayers of Holy Week?

• Answer: The The Pascha Book/Lectionary.

6. During the 12th Hour of Good Friday, we chant (Lord have mercy) 400 times. How are these distributed?

• Answer: 100 times in each of the four directions (East, West, North, South) to symbolize that our Lord’s mercy encompasses the entire world and the whole of creation through His blood.

7. Which Great Saint and Church Father is known for his defense of Christ's nature (Miaphysitism) against heretics, a theology that is central to our understanding of the Crucified God?

• Answer: St. Cyril of Alexandria. He famously taught that God the Word suffered in the flesh for our sake.

8. What do we call the evening preceding Easter Sunday, where we read the entire Book of Revelation?

• Answer: Apocalypse Night or "Bright Saturday."

9. True or False: During Holy Week, we pray the Agpeya hours as we do during the rest of the year.

• Answer: False. The Agpeya is replaced by the specific Pascha hours (five day hours and five night hours), as the psalms in the Pascha are specifically selected to prophesy the passion of the Lord.

10. What is the meaning of the word "Pascha"?

• Answer: It is derived from the Hebrew word "Pesach," meaning "Passover." For us, it signifies our passing from death to life through Christ.

If you would like more questions regarding specific hymns (like the "Thine is the Power") or more details on the history of the Council of Chalcedon and how it relates to our Miaphysite faith during the Passion, let me know. Additionally, if you are looking for cantors to study, you should listen to Moalem Ibrahim Ayad or Moalem Gad Lewis for the correct delivery of these rites.