On May 3, Eastern Christians celebrate Good Friday. This is the darkest day of Holy Week, which precedes Easter. It is believed that it was on this day that Jesus was crucified.
Good Friday 2024 is celebrated on May 3rd. This is the day of the execution of Jesus Christ, the day of his death – the darkest day in Christianity. As with any day of Holy Week, which comes before Easter, there are many special signs and prohibitions associated with Good Friday, which I will tell you about Focus.
What does Good Friday mean?
“Passion” from Church Slavonic means “suffering”. The last week before Easter is dedicated to the “passion of Christ” – the suffering of Christ, crucifixion and burial.
And Good Friday is a day of mourning. After all, it was on Friday, as is commonly believed, that the trial of Christ took place, after which he was crucified.
Crucifixion of Christ on an ancient icon
Photo: Social networks
In churches, from Thursday evening (at matins), 12 passages from the Gospel are read, telling about the betrayal of Judas, the trial and death of Jesus Christ. There is no liturgy on this day. On Vespers of Good Friday, a divine service is performed, when a shroud with the image of Christ is brought out of the altar for veneration. On this day, the strictest rules of Lent apply.
What can you do on Good Friday?
This day should be spent in silence and reflection. It is necessary to postpone all matters related to preparations for Easter. Moreover, it is on Good or Good Friday that it is customary to bake Easter cakes (Easter cakes) and prepare Easter cottage cheese. It is believed that bread baked on Good Friday never goes moldy and is healing.
What is prohibited to do on Good Friday?
You must not give in to bad emotions: anger, resentment, envy, excessive pride. You cannot drink alcohol and you cannot smoke. It is believed that all these restrictions on food and behavior help every believer, by the time Easter arrives, to feel renewed and have overcome their own vices.
On Good Friday it is not recommended to prepare for Easter. Although many bake Easter on this very day, it is after the removal of the shroud. Easter cottage cheese is also prepared on the same day.
On Good Friday it is customary to bake Easter
Photo: Getty
If you did not have time to do everything you need on Maundy Thursday, it is better to complete all your work on Saturday, which during Holy Week is called Quiet. Agricultural work is not recommended. Popular signs say that everything that is not planted on this day will not yield a bountiful harvest and the work will be wasted. At the same time, it is recommended to sow parsley – it will give a double harvest.
On Good Friday, you should not cut or dye your hair, or perform any cosmetic procedures. It is forbidden to wash. Since this is a working day, you will have to go to work, so it is recommended to perform your duties carefully and responsibly. You also cannot sew, embroider, wash, or chop wood. Any work with metal tools is prohibited.
Good Friday 2024, what can you eat?
On Good Friday, believers, as a rule, abstain from food until the shroud is taken out at the service (this is around 15.00). After this, you can eat bread and drink clean water. But such a regime is difficult to maintain, so on Good Friday those who fast are also allowed to eat raw vegetables and fruits.
You can eat vegetables and fruits on Good Friday
Photo: UNIAN
What is allowed to eat and drink on Good Friday:
- herbal tea (without sugar);
- fruits and vegetables (raw, canned and soaked);
- natural juice from any fruits and vegetables;
- dried fruits and nuts.
Signs of Good Friday
On this day you need to attend a service and pray. It is generally accepted that if you bring 12 candles from the service and place them around the house, this will bring prosperity and success to the house for the next year.
And it was on Good Friday that the weather could be predicted. So, when you get up in the morning, the first thing you do is go to the window: what you see there is what you should expect in the future.
- Bird – for good news and pleasant acquaintances.
- A young man or woman – to health and well-being.
- An elderly person means illness.
- A cat – to abundance.
- A dog means sadness.
- Rain – the whole spring will be damp and rainy.
- A sunny day means a rich harvest of bread.
- Cloudy means weeds in the gardens.
Let us remind you that earlier Focus wrote about what should be in an Easter basket and what products can be blessed in church.
