Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It is observed on a Friday that falls before Easter.
This day is said to be a holy day for Christians, but even though the name may indicate the fact that people celebrate Good Friday, the opposite of that is true. It is a day when people remember Jesus and pray to God.
Many people celebrate the day differently and according to their traditions, but the facts that they all have in common is that they all pray in their ways and ensure that there is no happiness surrounding their houses or families.
Good Friday is held in honor and remembrance of Jesus’s Crucifixion. It is held after Maundy Thursday, which recalls the Last Supper, and on the Friday before Easter Sunday. In Christianity, Jesus’ death is one of the most important segments of the Holy Bible.
In dying, Christians believe Jesus took on all the sins of the world and thus it is only through his sacrifice, that they are redeemed and allowed to enter into heaven.
Sometimes people dress in black and maintain silence during the hours of Christ’s suffering. The death of Jesus symbolizes the death and forgiveness for all of mankind’s sins, with Jesus taking the ultimate sacrifice for the good of all humans.
Good Friday was not always celebrated on a Friday. According to Britannica, Jesus’ Last Supper, Death, and Resurrection were observed the night before Easter Sunday in one single commemoration.
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Since then, Christians commemorate Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday separately. In English-native countries, the holiday is known as “Good Friday,” though in Greek and German liturgy, the term translates as “Great Friday” and “Sorrowful Friday,” respectively.
There are many ways in which Good Friday is celebrated; the common thing between all of them is that they all involve prayers. There is a mass held at the church, and many churches have the Stations of the Cross.
Some people host guests as well during the afternoon where they serve tea to their peers along with buns. Some people also observe a fast or abstain from eating on this day.
Many people make it a point to pray exactly at 3:00 pm as it is said that Jesus died at this time on this day. People also make it a point to reflect on the death of Jesus during the entire course of the day, which is the purpose that this day is observed.
Good Friday is meant to be a day of reflection for Christians, a day when you focus on the sacrifice made by Jesus. It is also a day of mourning for the church. People across the world celebrate Good Friday in a similar fashion.
- Good Friday is celebrated by fasting and praying.
- Many Church services are held in the afternoon, usually around noon or midday to 3 pm, to remember the hours when Jesus was crucified on the cross.
- Many churches also observe the day by re-enacting the process of the cross in the rituals of stations of the cross, which depicts the final hours of Jesus’ life.
- Many churches also participate in Veneration of the Cross, a short ceremony in which Christians kneel before the cross and affirm their faith.
- Many countries like Italy, Spain, Malta, The Philippines, and India held parades.
- Countries like Bermuda flies handmade kites which symbolizes the ascension of Jesus into heaven.
- Churches in countries like Belgium and Mexico are draped in black.
- In Jerusalem, Christians follow in Jesus’ footsteps and walk the very same path leading to the site of the crucifixion. Many who participate try to ritually bear the same weight Jesus did by carrying crosses on their backs.
- On Good Friday every year, tens of thousands of Brits gather in London to watch a passion play depicting the crucifixion in Trafalgar Square. The 90-minute play is completely free and open to the public.
- In Vatican City, the Pope recites the way of the cross outside the Colosseum for Catholics from all across the world. A massive cross with torches burns in the sky and believers hold their own candles.
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