Thursday salt: what is it, when to cook it in 2025, what to do with it

Holy Week is shrouded in a mass of popular beliefs. They have nothing to do with religion, they are not church rituals. Nevertheless, like Christmas fortune-telling, superstitions occupy a firm place in the life of the people. Let's talk about one of the main traditions on Maundy Thursday, April 17, 2025, the so—called Thursday salt.

What is Thursday salt?

Thursday salt is a special food salt that is prepared by housewives on the eve of Easter, on Maundy Thursday.

It is popularly believed that it is a powerful talisman for the whole family, like consecrated willow branches and Epiphany holy water.

Holy Fire — the miracle of Easter: how it appears, what to do with it

In 2025, Orthodox Christians will witness the descent of the Holy Fire on April 19.

How Thursday salt is made

According to folk recipes, you will need 1 kg of coarse salt to prepare Thursday salt.

Crumbs from the humps of rye bread (or a couple of pinches of flour) are added, as well as a little medicinal herbs at the discretion of the hostess. Among them may be calendula, fern, sage, rosehip, wormwood, mint.

Pour salt into a dry frying pan, stir over low heat and recite the prayer "Our Father". The procedure should be performed until the salt turns black.

Alternatively, Thursday's salt can be prepared in the oven according to the same principle.

Holy Monday of Holy Week: reading the Gospel, signs, what not to do

Holy Week will begin on April 29, on Monday, believers remember the Old Testament Joseph.

Thursday Salt 2025: what to do with it

After cooking, the Thursday salt is scattered into sachets or pouches, and it is consecrated in an Easter basket on Holy Saturday.

Throughout the year, it is used to salt dishes, especially in difficult times.

Some mothers put a bag of Thursday salt under the baby's mattress. They believe that Thursday's salt, tempered with fire and prayed for by a woman, protects against the evil eye and diseases.