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For Christians, Easter heralds spring and joyful celebrations. However, Christians observe another holy day two days before its arrival – Good Friday. This year, Good Friday falls on April 7.
Significance Of Good Friday
Catholics observe Good Friday as the day when Christians remember Jesus’ suffering and execution by the Roman Empire in Jerusalem. The day commemorates Jesus’ passion and death. Some people mark this solemn day by fasting or abstaining from meat, while others attend church services that reflect on the Good Friday story in the Bible. On Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, who rose from the dead after three days in a tomb.
When Was Good Friday Established
For centuries, this day has been observed. Roman Catholics claim to have historical evidence from the diary of a wealthy woman, Egeria, who made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in the fourth century. She described her travels, including how Christians observed Palm Sunday and other rituals. As Christianity spread, other early churches, including Antioch, Rome, and Constantinople, observed the day.
Why Is It Called Good Friday
It’s most likely because the word “good” used to mean “holy,” according to many linguists and even the Oxford English Dictionary. Linguists and historians debate whether “Good Friday” evolved from a previous name, “God’s Friday.” However, many people cannot see a connection between the two words.
How Is Good Friday Celebrated?
Many Good Friday traditions and popular devotions have evolved over time, and many are still practiced today.
In the Middle Ages, Francis of Assisi popularized the Stations of the Cross, or Way of the Cross, a symbolic pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Crosses are placed at regular intervals alongside art objects depicting pivotal scenes from Jesus’ life, such as paintings or sculptures. At each station, people pause to pray, meditate, and read or hear Biblical passages. It is frequently prayed during Lent, particularly on Good Friday.
Passion plays, which depict the last days of Jesus’ life, also began in the Middle Ages.
On Good Friday, some Christians visit seven different churches and spend a moment of prayer in each. Others attend a service based on the seven last words (or direct quotes) of Jesus with readings of Bible passages, a sermon, prayers, and hymns.
Many people commemorate Good Friday by fasting and attending religious services. For Roman Catholics, for example, Good Friday is the middle day of a three-day liturgy, or official rites, known as the Triduum. According to Roman Catholics, it is the most sacred liturgy of the year.
On Good Friday, the Anglican, Orthodox, and many Protestant faiths hold special services to remember Jesus’ suffering in preparation for the celebration of his resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Source:OCN
