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Good Friday in Christianity is a time of sorrow and mourning. According to the Bible, on the Friday following the Last Supper, Jesus Christ was condemned and crucified on the cross. On this day, believers remember the suffering of the Savior.
When is Good Friday in 2023
Passion, or Great, is the Friday of the last, sixth week of Great Lent, immediately before Easter. In 2023, Holy Sunday of Christ in Orthodoxy falls on April 16th. Accordingly, Good Friday will be on the eve of it, that is 14 April.
Catholic Easter in 2023 is celebrated on April 9th. Thus, the date of Good Friday this year in Catholicism will be April 7th.
By the way, sometimes the dates of Easter, and therefore Good Friday, coincide in Orthodoxy and Catholicism. This happened, for example, in 2017, when Easter Sunday fell on April 16th.
Remember the Gospel: Good Friday in Christianity
According to the gospel, on Friday, betrayed by his disciple Judas, Christ appeared before the court of the procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate, on charges of rebellion and incitement. Pilate, realizing the injustice of these slanders, nevertheless sentenced Christ to death by crucifixion.
The execution took place on Mount Golgotha, while the cross on which he was crucified, Christ himself carried through the streets of Jerusalem, accompanied by guards. At the same time as Jesus, two robbers were executed there, and one of them repented of his sins.
As the Gospel further narrates, on the third day after death on the cross, Christ was resurrected. This Sunday has become the most important holiday in Christianity, Easter.
Good Friday in Orthodox and Catholic churches
Divine services on Good Friday are dedicated to the tales of the torments of Christ on the cross, his death and burial.
During the Orthodox vespers (the actual time of this service is around 15:00), a special canon is sung, and a shroud, the image of the Savior in the tomb, is taken out from the altar to the faithful. This action began to be included in Vespers only from the end of the XNUMXth century, and now it is obligatory. In the center of the temple, the Shroud is located for three incomplete days.
In Catholicism, the worship of the Way of the Cross is accepted, which reminds believers of the main moments of the suffering of Jesus on the road to Calvary, and a special evening service of the Passion of the Lord (after 15 pm, the time of the death of Christ according to the Bible).
How to spend Good Friday
Good Friday is the strictest day of fasting in Christianity. Believers completely refuse food until the time the shroud is taken to the temple, but even from that moment only water and bread are allowed.
Since Good Friday is a time of mourning and sorrow, it is especially not recommended to indulge in fun on this day. Instead of entertainment, it is better to focus on prayer and helping loved ones.
Folk traditions on Good Friday
In addition to Christian traditions, there were also folk customs for Good Friday that echoed superstitions and often had pagan roots in general. For example, in Our Country they sometimes burned bonfires on high hillocks, which, according to legend, protected from evil spirits. A ban on agricultural and blacksmithing was also extended. Women were to give up sewing and knitting, and all other housework had to be well finished on Maundy Thursday. But the oven, on the contrary, was recommended: it was believed that the bread prepared on this day could cure diseases.
In some countries, theatrical processions take place on Good Friday, which, however, are not always approved by the church. For example, in the Filipino village of Sutud, rituals of crucifixion and self-flagellation have been practiced for several decades, and Catholic tourists from all over the world come to see them. And in Mexico, Good Friday is the day of the carnival and performances based on gospel stories. This tradition dates back to colonial times, when the Spaniards who arrived in America sought to convert the local population to Christianity, and a bright holiday served to attract attention.