Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper when Jesus shared the Passover meal with his disciples. Jesus washed the feet of his disciples prior to the celebration. By performing this lowly act of service, the Bible says in John 13:1 that Jesus "showed them the full extent of his love.
By His example, Jesus demonstrated how Christians are to love one another through humble service.
During the Passover meal, Jesus took bread and wine and asked His Father to bless it. He broke the bread into pieces, giving it to His disciples and said, "This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Then he took the cup of wine, shared it with his disciples and said, "This wine is the token of God's new covenant to save you with the blood I will pour out for you."
These events recorded in Luke 22:19-20 describes the Last Supper, the biblical basis for the practice of Holy Communion.
In the United Kingdom H.M. Elizabeth II takes part in the Ceremony of the Royal Maundy, which dates back to Edward 1. This involves the distribution of Maundy Money to deserving senior citizens (one man and one woman for each year of the sovereign's age), usually chosen for having done service to their community. They receive ceremonial red and white purses which contain coins made especially for the occasion. The white purse contains one coin for each year of the monarch's reign. The red purse contains money in place of other gifts that used to be given to the poor.