“‘If a man asks why _Shere Thursday_ is called so, ye may say that in holy Chirche it is called _Cena Domini_, our Lordes Super day. It is also in Englyshe called _Sher Thursday_, for in old faders dayes the people wolde that day shere theyr hedes, and clippe theyr berdes, and poll theyr hedes, and so make them honest agenst Ester day. For on Good Fryday they doo theyr bodyes none ease, but suffre penaunce in mynde of him that that day suffred his passyon for all mankynde. On Ester even it is time to here theyr service, and after service to make holy daye. “‘Then, as Johan Bellet sayth, on _Sher Thursday_ a man sholde so poll his here, and clype his berde, and a preest sholde shave his crowne, so that there sholde nothynge be between God and hym.’”--Festival, quoted by Dr. Wordsworth, in _Eccles. Biog._ vol. i. p. 297. In Brand’s _Pop. Antiq._ (revised by Sir Henry Ellis), London, 1841, in the chapter headed “Shere Thursday, also Maundy Thursday,” the same derivation is given; and in one of the notes, a passage is quoted from the _Gent. Mag._ (July 1779, p. 349), in which the writer says: “Maundy Thursday, called by Collier _Shier Thursday_, Cotgrave calls by a word of the same sound and import, _Sheere Thursday_. Perhaps--for I can only go upon conjecture--as _shear_ means _purus_, _mundus_, it may allude to the washing of the disciples’ feet (John xiii. 5., _et seq._), and be tantamount to clean. See 10th verse, and Lye’s _Saxon Dictionary v. Scip_. If this does not please, the Saxon _scipan_ signifies _dividere_, and the name may come from the distribution of alms upon that day, for which see _Archæol. Soc. Antiq._, vol. i. p. 7, _seq._; Spelman, _Gloss._ _v._ Mandatum; and Du Fresne, vol. iv. p. 400. Please to observe, too, that on that day _they also washed the altars_, so that the term in question may allude to that business.--See Collier’s _Eccles. History_, vol. ii. p. 157.” _Chare Thursday_, however, says Dr. Hahn (_N. & Q. 3rd S._ vol. viii. p. 389), is the correct expression, and has nothing whatever to do with _shearing_ or _sheer_, or _scipan_. _Shere_ is only a corruption of chare = char, care, or carr. In Germany Passion Week is called _Charwoche_, and Good Friday _Charfreitag_. But in former times _Char_ was prefixed to every day of Passion Week, and we find _Charmontag_ (Chare Monday), _Chardienstag_ (Chare Tuesday), &c. The origin of Chare Thursday is therefore evident. _Char_ is an old German word signifying _luctus_, _solicitudo_; Goth. _kar_, _kara_; Old Saxon _cara_; O.-H.-G. _chara_; Anglo-Saxon _cearu_, _caru_, allied to Latin _cura_, &c.[27] [27] See Care Sunday, p. 121. The original signification _chare_ having become obsolete, a word of similar sound was substituted in its place, and hence _Shere Thursday_. MIDDLESEX.