Good Friday: Do's and Don'ts. Good Friday before Easter - what you can do and what you can’t: signs

On Red Friday, no Liturgy is served in any of the Christian denominations, since on this day the Savior of the human race was crucified, martyrdom on the cross to atone for human sins.

Features of the church service

The service includes only three readings of the gospel narrative about the trial of Jesus Christ, his crucifixion and death on the cross on Calvary, the removal of his body from the cross and burial.

In the afternoon, when it is believed that Jesus died on the Cross, the shroud is taken out of the altar, depicting the removal of the Lord's body from the Cross. She is taken to the middle of the temple, where the Gospel is read over her and the believers perform reverent worship.

In the center of the temple, the shroud is kept for less than three days, symbolizing the three-day stay of Jesus Christ in the tomb. A few minutes before the Easter procession, she is brought back to the altar.

IN Cathedral Svetitskhoveli in Mtskheta (the ancient capital of Georgia), where the greatest relic, the tunic of Jesus Christ, is kept, at two o'clock in the afternoon they put a cross in front of the altar and perform a special ritual.

Court of Sinners

According to the evangelists, the Sanhedrin, led by the high priest Caiaphas, was afraid of losing power when they saw how the people received Jesus during his entry into Jerusalem (on Palm Sunday).

Therefore, they condemned Jesus to death, putting forward three false accusations - he corrupts our people, forbids giving tribute to Caesar, and calls himself a king. Moreover, the verdict was passed before the start trial and even before the investigation begins.

Jews did not have the right to sentence a person to death themselves, so they had to ask permission from the Roman ruler. During the trial, Pontius Pilate three times refused to put Christ to death.

The Roman procurator also suggested to the Jewish people led by the Jewish high priests, in honor of the Passover holiday, choose freedom for the preacher Christ or the robber and murderer Barabbas. The Jews chose the second.

Pilate, fearing unrest, complied with the crowd's demand and sentenced Jesus to crucifixion. At the same time, he performed the ritual washing of hands customary among Jews as a sign of non-involvement in the murder being committed, saying “I am innocent of the blood of this Righteous One.”

Reproduction of the painting "Christ in the Desert"

Path to Golgotha

After this, Jesus was handed over to Roman soldiers to be scourged. They dressed Christ in scarlet (a red military cloak) and placed it on his head. crown of thorns and, mockingly, they said: “Hail, King of the Jews.”

Having gloated, the soldiers dressed Jesus again in his own clothes, leaving a thorny wreath on his head, placed a cross on his shoulders and led him to the place of crucifixion. This place was outside the city walls and was called Golgotha.

Exhausted by scourging, drenched in sweat and blood, Christ fell several times under the weight of the cross. Then the soldiers, stopping Simon of Cyrene coming from the field, forced him to carry the cross to Golgotha. Leading with Jesus were two thieves, also condemned to death.

A great multitude of people followed Jesus, among whom were many women who sympathized with him. Despite the custom that prohibits sympathizing with a person being led to execution, they wept bitterly for Jesus.

At Golgotha, Roman soldiers executed Jesus by nailing him to a cross. Accepting martyrdom, Christ prayed for his tormentors: “Father! Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

During the suffering of the Savior, a great sign happened - the sun darkened and darkness fell throughout the entire earth, and lasted until his death.

Via Dolorosa - Road of Sorrow

On Great or Good Friday, tens of thousands of pilgrims from all over the world gather in Jerusalem to repeat Way of the Cross Jesus Christ. Georgian pilgrims annually take part in the procession along the Via Dolorosa road.

Via Dolorosa (Road of Sorrow) - begins in the Muslim quarter near St. Stephen's Gate, or Lion's Gate, in the old city of Jerusalem. The Road of Sorrow ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, inside which, according to legend, is Calvary - the site of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

By tradition Orthodox Church, religious procession along the Road of Sorrow takes place on Friday of Holy Week. By Catholic tradition, the Franciscans take a procession along the Way of Sorrows every Friday afternoon.

Icon "Transfiguration of the Lord". XVI century.

Easter eggs

Believers paint eggs on Good Friday evening, before sunset. Since ancient times, it has been believed that the blessed Easter egg should be the first meal after a 40-day fast.

Originally the color was only red, symbolizing the blood of Christ, while the egg itself was a symbol of rebirth. Later they began to be painted in other colors using natural or food dyes.

In Georgia, eggs have been dyed with roots for a long time. medicinal plant Madder (Rubia tinctorum), which is popularly called "endro".

The tradition of painting eggs for Easter goes back to ancient times - the first Easter Egg Mary Magdalene presented it to the Roman Emperor Tiberius with the words “Christ is Risen!” In those days it was impossible to come empty-handed, so she brought him an egg as a gift.

However, Tiberius did not believe her words, objecting that no one can be resurrected, just as a white egg cannot turn red. Only just last word came out of his mouth as the egg actually took on a scarlet color. According to this legend, the red color of the egg is a symbol of the blood shed on the cross by Jesus.

What not to do on Good Friday

Church traditions say that, first of all, this is a day of repentance, prayer and reflection on one’s own life. Therefore, on this day you cannot do household chores, especially sewing, washing, cutting.

All preparations for Easter must be completed in Maundy Thursday so that on Good Friday nothing distracts from prayers and services. Red Friday is officially declared a non-working day in Georgia.

According to church canons, complete abstinence from food is necessary on this day - this is the heaviest fast of the entire year. Some, with the blessing of the priest, do not eat anything all day, others spend this day on bread and water.

Signs and superstitions

Red Friday is popularly associated with a number of signs and superstitions. It is believed that bread baked on this day will heal all diseases and will never go moldy. According to legend, such bread protected sailors from shipwrecks and homes from fires.

It was considered a good omen if the bread turned out beautiful, with golden brown crust. If the bread was burnt or poorly baked, this indicated impending troubles.

On Good Friday you cannot laugh and rejoice. People say that whoever has fun on this day will cry all year long.

According to the superstition, under no circumstances should you pierce the ground with iron - the one who does this will suffer misfortune. Therefore, plants planted on this day will die. And only parsley sown on Good Friday gives a double harvest.

Clothes washed by the housewife and hung out to dry on Friday will never become clean.

Rings blessed on Good Friday protect the wearer from all illnesses.

After the service, it is customary to bring into the house twelve burning candles with which they stood in the church. Candles should be placed in the house and allowed to burn out until the end. It is believed that this will bring happiness and prosperity to the home for the next twelve months.

The baby will be strong, healthy and live a happy life if weaned on Good Friday.

There are signs related to the weather - if it is cloudy on Good Friday, then the bread will be with weeds, and the starry sky foretells that the wheat will be grainy.

On Good Friday you must refrain from drinking alcohol and carnal pleasures. People who get drunk on this day risk becoming alcoholics, and children conceived on Good Friday will get sick more.

Popular rumor says that on Good Friday you should refuse to cut your hair, dye your hair, or do anything else. cosmetic procedures so as not to lose your health.

On Red Friday you cannot spit on the ground. Folk signs They say that whoever spits on the ground will turn away all the saints for the whole year.

Since ancient times, healers have used the magic of this day for many purposes - they treated diseases, placed amulets, and spoke spells against illnesses.

The material was prepared based on open sources

Unfortunately, after many years of forced atheism, in our country not all people are well acquainted with Christianity. But today, everyone is awakening to interest in their history, traditions, including religious ones. more people.

This is noticeable in the interest and enthusiasm that arouses Orthodox holidays, and first of all – Easter. Many people try if not to comply with everything necessary requirements Lent, then at least partially endure it, giving up meat, other animal products, alcohol, chocolate, cigarettes or other familiar things.
But few people know exactly all the intricacies of fasting. Especially a lot of controversy arises around the days Great Week, the last one before Easter. In particular, questions are often asked: what can you eat on Good Friday, what can’t, and in general, how should you spend this day.

It's not called the last Friday before Easter for nothing. The most tragic biblical events fall on her: the trial of Christ, the terrible path to Golgotha, crucifixion and death. Knowing this, all Christians grieve, remembering His torment.

Therefore, three services are held on Good Friday. At the first, selected passages from the Gospel are read, at the second, the shroud is taken out, and at the third, they bury it. And only after this last service, believers can afford to drink water, unsweetened tea or uzvar. These can be other drinks, for example, compote, but in no case alcoholic ones. So requires Good Friday. What you can eat on this day is also very strictly defined.

On this day, all Christians observe the strictest fast. It is advisable to completely give up any food, but if such a restriction is too severe, you can allow yourself to eat some bread, rye or black. Even if the housewife cooks something on this day, for example, bakes Easter cakes, as is customary in some areas, she should not try her dishes based solely on experience.
People believe that such a strict dietary restriction can also apply to children. If you wean your baby off the breast on this day, it will help him become healthy and strong. Of course, this event can be timed to coincide with Good Friday if you were already planning to stop breastfeeding.

We hope you now know how Good Friday should be spent. Food on this day will be extremely meager and limited, but this is precisely what helps to better understand the events to which Good Friday is dedicated.

Good Friday - this day is the strictest day throughout Lent. This is due to the fact that in ancient times Jesus was handed over to the Jewish authorities, after which he walked the path to Golgotha with a cross on his back, and then was crucified on this very cross. In honor of the celebration of Easter by the Jews, Pontius Pilate provided people with the opportunity to free one of the prisoners from crucifixion. He believed that people would immediately want to let Jesus live, but they chose the thief. It was believed that the crucifixion of Christ would be the presentation of a Lamb to the Lord for human sins, while among the Jews it was customary to present a lamb as a sacrifice.
From that moment on, in churches on the eve of Good Friday on Maundy Thursday in the evening there is a divine service, where it is customary to stand with lit candles in your hands. At this moment, passages from the Gospel about the last moments of the life of Jesus Christ are read. There was a previous custom that after evening service the candles that were in your hands must be brought home and placed in front of the home icons.

Good Friday, what not to do?

On this Great Day it was impossible to sing, even pray in churches, to rejoice, to have fun. At home it was necessary to stop all housework. Currently, you need to protect yourself from going online on this day and from watching TV. The most the best option, how to spend Good Friday, spend it in a temple or monastery. For those who wish, you can go to the monastery for the whole time.

Good Friday, what can you eat?

Believers who visit the temple during Great Lent, and also observing all the rules of Lent, do not eat anything on Good Friday until the shroud with the image of Christ is taken out in the churches. In general, you can eat bread and water. It is not for nothing that this day is called the strictest day of Bright Week.
Housewives in the evening of this day begin to prepare the dough for Easter cakes, set the dough overnight, and on the morning of Holy Saturday they bake it themselves. In Ukraine, there were several signs and customs about how to bake properly. Easter cakes. Firstly, when the dough is rising, no one should enter the kitchen, otherwise they may jinx the dough, and this evil eye will pass on to the whole family. Secondly, from the moment you prepare Easter cakes, you cannot leave the house, eat anything, or borrow anything until you have prepared them. Easter dish. Thirdly, before putting the Easter cake in the oven, you must say: “Kulich into the oven, get the evil spirits out of the house.” And fourthly, before removing the cake from the oven, you need to cross the corners in the kitchen.
All that remains is to illuminate the Easter cakes you have prepared in the church and celebrate the Bright Easter holiday.

Easter 2017 will come very soon, but it will be preceded by Holy Week and its strictest day - Friday. Good Friday 2017 will occur on April 14, two days before Easter.

What is Good Friday

According to Holy Scripture, this is the day when Christ was crucified. That is why it is considered the saddest of all the days of Lent: excessive fun, joy, and going to entertainment events are not recommended.

What to do on Good Friday

Orthodox Christians go to church on this day and pray for the dead and unjustly convicted. From housework you can prepare clothes, baskets and towels for going to church on Easter.

Good Friday - what not to do

In addition to the fact that you cannot have fun, sing and dance on this day, it is better to refuse cleaning, finishing it on Thursday, and agricultural work.

It is prohibited to work with metal objects: knives and nails. Even bread on this day can only be broken with your hands.

Is it possible to bake Easter cakes on Good Friday?

Priests have different opinions on this matter. Many people recommend finishing the cooking process at night on Maundy Thursday.

But if this is so necessary, before baking Easter cakes, you need to read the Our Father and ask God for forgiveness. However, you still cannot use a knife.

Signs for Good Friday

On this day you can cleanse your house of all unclean forces for Easter. You need to bring 12 candles from the church, light them and walk with them in all corners.

If they crackle somewhere, it is better to stand in this corner with lit candles longer.

Good Friday in Orthodox faith considered the most mournful day throughout church year. According to the scriptures, it was on this day that Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross in agony. Every year the date of Good Friday is different. After all, this day directly depends on when exactly Easter comes.

Good Friday 2018, what date the Orthodox will have, depends on the date of Easter. Easter will be quite early this year, falling on April 8th. Accordingly, if you look at the calendar, it is not difficult to understand that Good Friday will be April 6th. On this day you need to abstain from any work and be sure to go to temple. Let us once again emphasize the fact that this is the most mournful day of the year.

Also, Good Friday is the penultimate day of Lent. On this day, in churches, during services, and in prayers at home, the passion of Christ and his painful death on the cross are remembered. Also on this day, the body was taken down from the cross and buried in a cave. April 6th is exact date When is Good Friday in 2018?

Preparing for Good Friday

On Maundy Thursday, the day that precedes the described Friday, you need to finish at home general cleaning. It is important to do this on Thursday, because on Good Friday all business activities will be strictly prohibited. Moreover, it is no longer possible to clean up from Good Friday until the second week after Easter.

Also on Good Friday you need to stop preparing the festive Easter table. If on Thursday housewives can calmly paint eggs, put dough on Easter cakes, put Easter cottage cheese, jellied meat and aspic, then on Friday they must refuse any work in the kitchen.

Perform any homework. It has already been noted that you cannot clean or cook on this day, you also cannot sew or do laundry. The Church considers all these actions on the holiday to be a great sin.
You cannot work with the soil on Good Friday: dripping, planting, or even watering. It is believed that everything sown on this day will yield absolutely no harvest.
Stop drinking alcohol completely. In general, Lent is underway, when alcohol has long been banned. But even if a person does not fast, then on Good Friday one must definitely abstain from consuming alcoholic drinks to avoid becoming an alcoholic.
Any carnal pleasures are prohibited. If children were conceived on this day, people said they would be born sick and could become criminals in their future.
You should also avoid cutting and coloring your hair. In general, on Good Friday you should not go to a beauty salon for any reason.
Of course, you need to refrain from entertainment activities: even watching TV.

What do you do on Good Friday?

We have already noted exactly what you should not do on this important and mournful day before Easter. Now, of course, we need to note those things that are welcomed on this day.

You should try to spend this day in peace and quiet, pray a lot, remember the torment of Jesus Christ, which he accepted in the name of all mankind. You should definitely go to church on this day, ideally for morning and evening services. The evening service is important, during which the Shroud is brought to the center of the temple. This is a piece of fabric that depicts Jesus Christ in full height. The shroud is located in the center of the temple on a hill, decorated with flowers, and the Gospel is placed on top of it. Evening service ends before the Shroud.

Important! During the church service in front of the Shroud, it is important to stand with your head bowed and bow low during the substitution of the cross. You should also venerate the Shroud at the end of the service.

What to eat on Good Friday?

April 6th is the date of Good Friday 2018. It should also be noted that this is one of the strictest days of Lent. On this day, church canons prescribe complete abstinence from food throughout the day. With the appearance of the first star in the sky, you can eat some bread and drink some water.

Important! Such strict dietary regulations are mandatory for clergy. As for the laity, the usual strict fast can be observed. For example, eat twice a day, not three.

Signs and customs of Good Friday:

People believed that if for three years in a row on Good Friday one adheres strictly to fasting and abstains from food and drink, then a person will be able to see his death hour three days before death. Many wanted this in order to properly prepare for their death
People also said that if you completely abstain from food on Good Friday, then God will forgive all sins (starting from the last confession).
After the service in the temple, you need to buy and light a light. Do not put out the candle and go home with it, put it in the red corner. Now, spending time in prayer, wait until the candle burns out completely. It is believed that such a ritual provides happiness and prosperity to the home for the whole year.
You can walk around the house with a lit candle that you brought from the temple. If somewhere a candle starts to smoke or crackle, there is something with bad energy there: it is recommended to get rid of it.
Despite the fact that church tradition only has a negative attitude towards magical actions and rituals, it is believed that conspiracies that are read on Good Friday have strong effect and are protected for a whole year.

If you know exactly how calculations are carried out and what kind of day it is, then in subsequent years it will not be difficult to independently determine the date of this day. You just need to count back two days from the date of Easter; this year it falls on April 6, provided that Orthodox believers celebrate Easter on April 8.

About the symbols of Good Friday

If we talk about figurative symbols, then, of course, first of all we are talking about the transition from earthly life to eternal life, which exists outside the body. The material symbol of this day is the Shroud. We have already discussed how much attention is paid to it in the framework of this material. It is believed that in Turin they bring into the temple exactly the Shroud that was wrapped around the body of Christ after it was taken down from the cross. Therefore, many pilgrims go on Good Friday precisely.

In conclusion of this material, I would like to remind you that Good Friday is the most mournful day of the year. This is the last day of the life of the Son of God, the Savior of mankind Jesus Christ on earth. The laity know what happened next and what exactly they celebrate on Easter Sunday. But on Good Friday, attention is paid precisely to those events that historically took place on this day.