During Holy Week, Catholic tradition suspends the ringing of Church bells from the end of the Gloria on Holy Thursday until the Gloria at the Easter Vigil.
The bells are silent from Maundy Thursday night until Holy Saturday, marking the peak of the Paschal Triduum.
The rubric for Maundy Thursday states that the Gloria in excelsis is sung during the liturgy, accompanied by the ringing of bells, which then remain silent until the Gloria is sung again at the Easter Vigil.
This silence, often referred to as the bells “going to Rome,” signifies mourning for Christ’s passion, with wooden clappers (or crotalus) used as a somber, harsh-sounding replacement.
Known in Latin as crotalus (from the Greek krotalon, meaning ‘rattle’), this instrument is also widely used in the country, where it is known by various names such as matraka, takatak, or takatok.
It reminds the faithful of the Passion, specifically the nails being hammered into the Cross or the whips of the scourging.
The silence breaks when the bells ring joyfully again at the Easter Vigil when the Gloria returns.