The Christian passover, as originally limited to Holy Week and Easter Week, was consecrated in the first place to the remembrances of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection, and to this the religious ceremonies, in so far as they differed from the ordinary services, owed their special character. But, in the second place, it is to be observed that so long as the Catechumenate remained in existence, and even to some extent afterwards, Easter was the only season regularly appointed for baptism. At Easter, the labours of the Catechists came to an end, the course of preparation was finished, the Catechumens received the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and the Holy Eucharist. To this fact, in the second place, the Easter services owe much of their special character, and even now, long after the practice of the Church has changed, rites connected with the administration of baptism are to be found in the ritual of the Easter festival. Thus, the consecration of the font on Holy Saturday, first of all, and then the consecration of the Holy Oils on Maundy Thursday, must be owing to the fact that they were required for the administration of Baptism and Confirmation. On this ground, as well as because of the importance of the feast in itself, it is obvious that Easter, from the liturgical point of view, is conspicuous among all the other festivals, and that a number of rites are then performed which are not repeated in the course of the whole year.[120] To these rites belong the reading of the Passion on Palm Sunday, and on the Tuesday and Wednesday in Holy Week, the procession on Palm Sunday, the Consecration of the Holy Oils on Maundy Thursday, the _missa præsanctificatorum_ on Good Friday. More than the others, Holy Saturday is conspicuous for a number of rites peculiar to itself, viz.:— 1. The blessing of the fire from which the other lights in the Church are lit, and the blessing of the five grains of incense for the pascal candle: both ceremonies being performed outside before the door of the Church. 2. The procession thence into the Church. 3. The blessing of the pascal candle by the singing of the _Exsultet_ or _præconium paschale_. 4. The reading of the prophecies from the Old Testament. 5. The blessing of the baptismal font, in which the pascal candle is employed. 6. The baptism of catechumens, if there are any. 7. The chanting of the Litany of the Saints during the _humi prostratio_. 8. The mass of Holy Saturday without introit, and with the threefold Alleluia, _i.e._, instead of Vespers. 9. In many places Easter festivities take place on the evening of Holy Saturday, but these are not liturgical. 10. On Easter morning, the lifting up of the Crucifix from the sepulchre; procession, opening of the doors, and entry into the church. The gospel being St Mark xvi. 1-7. In the Middle Ages other special ceremonies and forms of rejoicing took place.