Friday during Holy Week (week) of Lent is the strictest day when it is advisable for a believer to abstain from food altogether. Or eat only a little bread and water, and then only in the evening, after the rite of removing the Shroud has been completed. Yes, it was on Friday that Jesus was crucified. And many prohibitions and rituals are associated with this day in Christianity. What can and cannot be done on Good Friday?
Friday before Easter: what you can and cannot do on this day
Despite the widespread belief that Easter cakes and Easter cakes should be baked exclusively on, or at least on, Holy Saturday, bread can and should be baked on Friday. They had healing properties and saved all next year. If a person or animal fell ill in the house, he was given a piece of such bread. They believed that paskas and bread baked on the Friday before Easter do not become stale or moldy. If the ring was consecrated on this day, then it also had protective qualities and reliably guarded its wearer.
The traditions of Good Friday are very closely intertwined with the pagan rituals of the Slavic peoples. On this day, bonfires were burned on the high hills in honor of Perun, which guaranteed deliverance from evil spirits. People scared away the evil spirits with shouts and fire, and then rode on horseback through all the courtyards, waving axes, whips and lit splinters.
These same “lit splinters” are woven into church ceremonies. They tried to bring the candle lit at the service on Friday home safe and sound, without extinguishing it. And then they walked around the house, going clockwise, after which they set it to burn out in front of the household icons.
On Friday, any work related to the ground was prohibited. However, there is a belief that greens sown on this day will give the most big harvest. So, parsley, dill or lettuce can and should be planted.
Interestingly, popular rumor associated Good Friday with breastfeeding, or more precisely, with its completion. It was believed that if you wean a baby from the breast today, he will grow up healthy, strong and be a happy person.
According to folk signs, Friday night foreshadowed good harvest, if she was stellar. But the cloudy morning said that the field would be overgrown with grass.
Good Friday: what not to do? You cannot clean the house or cook food on this day. Good Friday is one of the key days of Lent. It is believed that it was on this day that Jesus Christ was crucified. Despite the lack of a clear connection to a calendar date, it is customary to mourn it on the Friday preceding Easter. In 2019, Good or Good Friday falls on April 26th.
What and why is banned on this day?
The day is called Passionate or Great. These names do not replace each other, but complement each other. “Passionate” means passion for Christ, which reached its climax on the day of his death. “Great” means very different from the others in terms of the scale of what is happening.
This day stands out among the other days of fasting for everyone. Starting from church service, a mandatory element of which is reading part of the Gospel about Jesus and his accomplishments on Earth, ending with an exceptional event - the removal of the shroud. It is considered one of the most powerful arguments testifying to the life of Jesus and his resurrection.
The requirements for all Christians are also different. On Good Friday you cannot do what you can do on the other days of Lent. For example, cleaning the house or preparing food. For this there is a day called Maundy Thursday. It takes place on the eve of Friday, and, as a rule, all preparations for the upcoming weekend and Friday must be made during this day. Why not? It is believed that cleaning the outside distracts from the cleanliness of the inside. On the day of the greatest tribulation of mankind, all our time should be devoted to prayer and thoughts of the great deeds of Jesus.
For the same reason, it is customary not to wash your face and eat almost nothing. The food usually used is crackers, bread and some water. Food on this day is needed solely to drown out the urges from a “hungry” stomach. Nothing should distract from the affairs of the temple on Good Friday.
Throughout Lent, and especially during Good Friday, no entertainment is allowed. The church is especially strict about noisy feasts, entertainment programs and idle wandering around the Internet. Of course, nothing can cancel some work commitments or family emergencies today. Therefore, on this day it is necessary to strictly adhere to your inner guide, the course of which is aimed at prayer, work and purification.
The article talks about what Good Friday is and what customs and rituals are associated with this important day.
From the article you will learn why the Friday before Easter was called Holy, what rituals and signs exist of this important day before Christ's Sunday.
Easter in relation to Good Friday
One of the strictest fasts of the year ends at the end of Holy Week (Holy Week), during which believers remember the events that led Jesus Christ to death: the culmination of the Savior’s physical life was spiritual and physical torment.
On Good Friday, laity read about the Last Supper, the taking of Christ into custody, the trial of the Divine Prisoner, the scourging and execution of the death sentence, which ended with the crucifixion. The last six days of Lent are called “Great” or “Passionate”. During Holy Week, special services are held, and the Orthodox adhere to a particularly strict fast.
Holy Week is spent for the laity in memories of the last days spent on earth by Jesus.
On Maundy Monday In churches they read the Gospel parable about the roadside fig tree cursed by the Lord. The symbolism and spiritual meaning of the image of the barren fig tree is revealed in detail:
- the roadside fig tree personifies one who is perishing in unrepentance, whose soul does not bring faith, prayer and good deeds
- the moment when the tree withered from the words of the Lord shows the Divine power of the Savior, the censure of people who outwardly create the appearance of performers God's commandments, but from which it is impossible to expect good fruits
On Maundy Tuesday Believers devote themselves to reading the parables that the Son of God spoke in the Temple of Jerusalem: about the resurrection, about the trial of the Savior, about the ten virgins.
Believers spend Good Friday in remembrance of the passions that save Christians
Great Wednesday Believers devote themselves to reading the parable of the precious ointment poured on the head of the Savior by sinners. In this way they prepared him for his rest. On this day, the greed for money and the betrayal of Judas are condemned and cursed. It also talks about the destined fate of the two different people: Judas, who betrayed the Lord and thereby destroyed his soul, and the harlot Mary Magdalene, who repented and accepted salvation.
On Maundy Thursday several events occurred: Jesus’ establishment of the sacrament of the Eucharist at the Last Supper, the Savior’s prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Good Friday Believers devote them to memories of the saving passions and death of Jesus on the cross for churchgoers.
Holy Saturday the laity devote themselves to reading about the burial of the Savior and how his body remained in the tomb. Holy Fire, which is taken out on this day from the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem - a symbol of the Resurrection of the Lord.
Holy Week Believers devote themselves to preparing for Easter: cleaning is carried out, Easter cakes are baked, Easter eggs are painted.
During Holy Week, believers prepare for the holiday of the Holy Resurrection of Christ With Easter cakes and krashankas, believers go to the Divine Service on Holy Saturday, where the products are blessed.
Holy Week ends with the celebration of Easter - Christ's Resurrection.
Good Friday - the essence of what it is, what it means, what happens on Good Friday
Good Friday is the day the Son of God was crucified. During the Divine Service, the clergy remember that event three times, reading the Gospel:
- at Matins there is a service of the 12 Gospels, excerpts from which recall the saving suffering and crucifixion of Jesus, which occurred on Friday
- The Great (Royal) Hours are spent reading the narratives of the four evangelists
- Great Vespers takes place with the reading of the composite Gospel
On Good Friday we remember the torment of Jesus Christ and his crucifixion Video: GREAT LENT. PASSIONATE WEEK. GOOD FRIDAY
When is the Shroud taken out on Good Friday?
- There is no liturgy in the church on Good Friday. However, on the day that Good Friday falls on the Annunciation, the service of St. John Chrysostom takes place.
- On Good Friday, the canon “On the Crucifixion of the Lord” is performed in the church, and the clergy also take out the Shroud - a symbolic funeral shroud with the full-length body of the Savior depicted on it, which lies in the coffin.
There are no bells in the church on Good Friday. On this day the Shroud is taken out - The iconographic image of the Savior in the tomb is a mandatory attribute of the divine service of the two last days Holy Week: Good Friday and Holy Saturday.
Priests in black robes carry out the Shroud - The Shroud is placed on a special elevation, symbolizing the Holy Sepulcher, in front of the Royal Doors. At the same time, the Savior’s Head is turned to the north, and his feet are turned to the south. Incense is applied to the Shroud and flowers are laid out. These actions symbolize the anointing of the Body of the executed Savior with incense by the myrrh-bearing women.
- The service on the day of special repentance begins at two o'clock in the afternoon. The shroud is taken out an hour after the start of the service - at the moment of Jesus’ death on the cross.
What can you do on Good Friday?
On Good Friday, those who served in the service carry home 12 burning candles, which are not allowed to burn out completely. These candles bring prosperity and happiness to the house where they are kept. On this day you can sow a vegetable garden or field. Dill and peas sown in small quantities are the key to a good harvest.
All preparations for the celebration of Easter are made before Maundy Thursday Can I bake on Good Friday?
Baking Easter cakes on Good Friday is allowed. Baked Easter cakes should be covered with sacred willow. Such willow branches are then used as a talisman against evil spirits.
Is it possible to get married on Good Friday?
Believers spend strict fasting on Good Friday in prayer, and it is also obligatory to attend the mournful service (Lamentation of the Virgin Mary). If you decide to get married in April, then it is better to wait another 2 weeks after Easter. Go to church, and at the end of Lent you can get married and have a fun wedding.
In Orthodoxy it is allowed to get married after Red Hill (Antipascha) What does a wedding on Good Friday mean?
During Easter week, the biggest and most punishable holiday, you cannot walk and have fun. Therefore, it is better to postpone the wedding date. Consider whether it's worth starting family life with a great sin and how the wedding on Good Friday will then turn out for both of you, because this is the time to prepare for the resurrection of the Savior.
On Easter week on Good Friday no one gets married and no one marries newlyweds in church What should you not do on Good Friday?
The following actions are prohibited:
- washing
- sticking iron objects into the ground
- drinking alcohol
- fun
If a person spends this day having fun, he will shed tears all year long.
On this day women are not allowed to:
- spin
- clean the house
On this day men are not allowed to:
- chop wood
- use a cleaver, plane
- plant trees
Women are not allowed to sew on Good Friday What does a dream on Good Friday mean on Saturday: signs
A dream from Thursday to Friday predicts the future, but the dream takes on special significance on Good Friday. Usually such a dream is filled accurate predictions. Having seen a prophetic dream, wait for its fulfillment until noon (lunch) of the same day.
Dream on Good Friday What does it mean if a child is born on Good Friday?
This day will not affect the fate of a child born on Good Friday.
What does it mean if a child is born on Good Friday? What does a birthday on Good Friday mean?
- In the old days, it was believed that a baby born on Good Friday should be taken to his grandmother so that she would reprimand him from future troubles, and so that the child would not suffer a difficult fate.
- But the clergy have a different opinion on this matter: all the troubles that will happen in the life of such a child will ultimately turn into great joy. That's why you shouldn't count bad sign the birth of a baby on a mournful day.
What does Birthday on Good Friday mean? What does bread baked on Good Friday mean?
It is believed that if you bake bread on Good Friday, it will remain fresh for a long time and will not become moldy. This bread is used as a remedy to relieve illness. The sailors took the bun baked on Good Friday with them on long journeys, using it as a talisman. If you store such a bun at home, it will become a talisman against fires.
Is it possible to bake bread on Good Friday? What does it mean to die on Good Friday?
Anyone who leaves this world on Good Friday will experience the torment of life with the Savior and will be resurrected with him.
What does it mean to die on Good Friday? Lent - Good Friday: what can you eat?
Food is not consumed on Good Friday until the Shroud is taken out. But even after this, only bread and water are allowed.
Good Friday: what conspiracies, rituals and prayers to read?
A conspiracy against alcoholism, drunkenness and relief from extreme melancholy
- Furnace ash is taken from the oven on Good Friday.
- It falls at an intersection where there are no cars.
The plot is read three times:
Just as this ash will not sprout, and the sprouts will not produce petals, and the petals will not produce fruit, so the slave (name) will not take wine into his mouth: neither on Sunday, nor on Saturday, nor on Friday, nor on Thursday, nor on Wednesday, nor on Tuesday, and not on Monday. Amen. Just as this ash does not fill with a spring, does not sing like a nightingale, so the slave (name) will not drink green wine. Amen. Just as this ash will not farrow or whelp, so the slave (name) will say goodbye to wine forever. He will not drink: neither on Sunday, nor on Saturday, nor on Friday, nor on Thursday, nor on Wednesday, nor on Tuesday, nor on Monday, nor on weekdays, nor on Holy Days. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen. Amen.
- Repeat the ritual two Fridays in a row.
- Hide the remaining ash and use it at times when the temptation to drink is great.
Good Friday spell for stress and depression
- To perform the ceremony you will need three easter eggs, which must be lowered into a container of water, over which the following magical text is read:
Strengthen my faithful words, Lord, Strengthen, Christ, the servant of God (name). Just as people rejoice at the bright Easter, so may the servant of God (name) be glad of life. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen. Amen.
- A person suffering from depression should wash his face with this water.
- On Good Friday you need to bake a small loaf of bread.
- One half is eaten by those who perform the ritual, and the other is kept all year behind the icons. But before you put the bread behind the icons, you need to say:
“Lord, save, preserve, defend. Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen".
Prayers for Good Friday:
Prayer for others
O Jesus, have mercy on your holy Church; take care of him.
O Jesus, have mercy on poor sinners and save them from hell.
Oh Jesus, bless my father, my mother, my brothers and sisters, and everything I have to pray.
O Jesus, have pity on the souls in purgatory and bring them to your heavenly rest.Prayer to express sorrow for sins
God my Father,
I am very sorry for turning my back on your friendship.
You showed only love for me.
I sometimes show a little love in return.
Because of you, your only one, Jesus, who died and rose again for me, forgive me all my sins.
Father, not only have I offended you with my sins, but I have also offended your community here on earth.
I promise to show great love to my neighbor in order to make up for my sins.
I can't do anything unless your Holy Spirit helps me lead a life like Jesus, a life spent forgetting about myself in the service of others.
Prayer for Holiness on Good Friday
Lord, I don’t pray for tomorrow and its needs,Unity Prayer
Heavenly Father,
you are the Father of all men.
We ask you to send the Holy Spirit,
The spirit that unites people
so all people
forget past troubles
put aside unfair opinions,
and work together for the benefit of all,
regardless of their religion,
no matter what their races are,
so in the end
this world
did good men working together,
in the spirit of Jesus and work with you,
may be given to you by your Son,
Unite especially all Christians
so they can be together again soon,
as one flock around the table of the Lord's Supper.
We ask you to unite more closely those of our Church,
so under the guidance of the Spirit towards Thy kingdom,
we can work, pray and live happily together
in love and peace. (Amen)
Prayers for Good Friday
Prayer for Holiness on Good Friday
Lord, I don’t pray for tomorrow and its needs,
Keep me, my God, from the stain of sins,
Let me both work diligently and pray properly,
Let me be kind words and business for others,
Let me not do anything wrong or idle in words, thoughtlessly say,
Set you a lock on my lips
Let me in the season, Lord, to be honest, in the season of gays,
Let me be faithful to your grace just for today,
And if today my tide of life should fade,
Oh bet, if I die today, come home today,
So, for tomorrow and its needs, I don't pray,
But hold me, guide and love me, Lord, I pray you.
Conspiracy for the whole year from all enemies
"In the name of the Father and the Son
And the Holy Spirit.
King Herod fights, fights,
Blood is shed, no one
Doesn't regret it
Doesn't let anyone down.
Against evil man There is
Great Sagittarius -
God the Father!
At Our Lord's
Jesus Christ
The sun is a bow, the month is an arrow:
There is something to shoot.
The Lord will not give to anyone
To offend me.
The Lord God is ahead of me,
Our Lady is behind
With them I am not afraid of anyone,
With Them I fear no one.
And you, my villainous enemies,
You have a knitting needle in your tongues,
Red-hot pliers in fangs
And in the vile eyes of the sand.
In the name of the Father and the Son
And the Holy Spirit.
Now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Amen".A conspiracy to ask forgiveness from the deceased
Read on the evening of Good Friday.
“In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
There is no beginning without an end.
In the name of the Creator.
In the name of Jesus Christ.
I will stand up and cross myself.
I'll go out the door
Blessed,
I'll go to the holy church,
To the golden cross
To the Mother of God
And her son Jesus Christ.
I'll beg you with bows
And crosses
I will pay with tears of repentance.
In the dead kingdom
The dead state
Among the darkness
The darkness of dead people.
Kings, executioners,
Judges and sovereigns,
Dashing and kind people
There is one dead soul.
Before this soul
It's my fault.
For the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ.
For His crown of thorns
I ask and beg you to forgive me (name)
And my living soul
Let go of sin.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Now and forever
And forever and ever. Amen."Video: Good Friday. Our Easter is Christ!
Of all the days of Great Week, this is a mournful one. Jesus Christ, who sacrificed his life for the forgiveness of the sins of mankind, was condemned and crucified on Calvary. Good Friday was the last earthly day lived by the Savior.
Good Friday falls during Lent, which lasts until Easter. On this day you should observe it more strictly than usual. It is customary to limit yourself as much as possible. Everything earthly and mortal must fade into the background. Before the Removal of the Shroud (around 14:00), it is better to abstain from food altogether, and after it, prefer bread, raw fruits and water.
The Church recommends dedicating the date to prayers and be sure to attend a temple service. Three services are held. In the morning, watch the reading of the Gospel of the Passion of the Lord. After noon - Vespers with removal of the shroud. Evening service lasts until Saturday morning and ends with the burial of the Shroud. In the old days, candles were carried from church lit. Now they are extinguished at the exit from the temple, at home they are lit near the icons.
Good Friday before Easter, what not to do
One of the saddest days of Holy Week is Good Friday. This time is dedicated to mournful and sad memories of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Under no circumstances should you do household chores. There is a special day for this - Maundy Thursday, in which people are supposed to fulfill various jobs. Especially on Good Friday you can't do laundry.
They say that it is during this period that red spots resembling blood may appear during washing. You should also not cut, dig, plant or pierce the ground.
What kind of day is this – Good Friday? What can't be done and what can you do?
People who were planning a celebration, wedding, or entertainment for this day should better postpone the fun for a more favorable time, because this is a huge sin.
What else can Good Friday tell us? What should you not do on this day?
There is no need to talk loudly or laugh. After all, this period is associated with grief and sadness. From Thursday evening you should not eat food, and you should also refrain from drinking. It is believed that if you do not drink water on this day, then any liquid will benefit your health throughout the year. If you are interested in the question of what you cannot do on Good Friday and Saturday, know: it is forbidden to transport bees, otherwise the likelihood that they will all die is quite high.
What to do on Good Friday
On this day it is also recommended to consecrate a ring in the church. There is a belief that this action will protect you from illnesses and evil eyes throughout the year. If you bake a muffin on Good Friday and store it until next Easter, you can cure whooping cough. On this day, it is also customary to treat relatives, friends, acquaintances and even the poor with baked goods, cottage cheese, milk, eggs, do more good deeds and give alms.
Good Friday is celebrated 2 days before Easter, i.e. in 2019 it falls on April 26. This is a memorable day on which the physical and mental suffering of Christ is remembered with special respect. It was then that the Savior was put on trial and crucified on the cross.
Therefore, believers often have the question of what can and cannot be done on Good Friday. How best to prepare for this day, and how to spend it correctly? A detailed answer with comments from church representatives is given in the article.
The events of Good Friday will become clear if we rewind time just one day back and plunge into the atmosphere of Thursday (the same Thursday that people called clean).
Let us mentally imagine the Lord's Supper - a kind of farewell evening, which became the last for Christ and his disciples. Of course, none of the 12 apostles had any idea that Jesus would be taken into custody a few hours later.
And only Judas Iscariot was aware of what was happening, because the traitor had already begun his vile game. Having reached an agreement with the enemies of the Savior, he literally sold his teacher for 30 pieces of silver. By the way, today scientists have made simple calculations that have revealed amazing fact. Those 30 pieces of silver are today's 6 thousand dollars. This is the amount Judas valued the Lord’s life at.
Of course, Christ knew about the upcoming torment, because he came to earth in order to die and then be resurrected. Through his atoning sacrifice, the Lord was to save all mankind. But did he know in detail what would happen in a few hours? Hardly.
Therefore, immediately after the supper, he went to the Garden of Gethsemane to retire and mentally prepare for the most difficult test. This is what this place looks like today (Jerusalem, Israel).
Meanwhile, Judas was already with his accomplices. The remaining 11 disciples settled down not far from the Savior. Thursday turned out to be a very busy day, so they fell asleep very quickly: clean air, sweet silence and sentimental moonlight did their job.
But Christ had no time for sleep. The moment of his suffering and passion is described in great detail in the Bible. The Savior turned his gaze to heaven and simply prayed to God. Perhaps everyone has heard the expression “the passion of Christ.” This is not only the title of a famous film, but also part of the true biography of the Savior - the events of the last days of his earthly life.
Of course, at that moment he was experiencing not carnal, but spiritual passions. This is what we sometimes call the words “the soul hurts.” Painful thoughts, a feeling of the inevitability of suffering and a terrible, unjust death.
Needless to say, in this mental struggle a person especially needs the support of his loved ones - at least a warm word and a kind look. Obviously, this is exactly what the Lord wanted when he approached his disciples. But they were already fast asleep...
Christ did not wake them up, did not ask for help, although, of course, he had every right to do so. It’s just that this was not part of his mission - the Savior does not share his suffering, but bears his cross to the end.
A few hours later he will literally carry a huge wooden cross. Together with the raging crowd, representatives of the authorities and a small number of sympathizers, the Lord reached the place called Golgotha. This is what it looks like today (Jerusalem, Israel).
Screaming enemies, laughing soldiers, whispering conspirators - their discordant cries turned into disgusting chaos, which reverberated with a dull, sad noise in the ears of all those gathered. No one thought about what would happen in just a few minutes. The Lord dies in torment and struggle.
At that very second, the unexpected happened. The sky became dark as if night had suddenly fallen or solar eclipse. The stones at the foot of the cross cracked, and the curtain in the local temple was torn exactly in half.
The crowd was seriously scared. Those who just recently shouted and mocked the defenseless man hurried to go home. And many soldiers, timid people, felt not only trembling fear, but also deep respect for the deceased. They believed that Christ was truly the Son of God.
A few more hours later, when Golgotha was deserted, one rich man, whose name was Joseph, came to the cross with the body of Jesus (whether it’s a coincidence or not, but the same name was given to the Savior’s earthly father, Mary’s husband). He removed the body, embalmed it, swaddled it and buried it, i.e. placed in a stone tomb.
The next day, the traitors were afraid of the already dead Christ, because they remembered his promise that in three days he would rise again. Therefore, they decided to move a heavy stone to the entrance to the tomb, put a seal on it, and in addition set up a guard, who should stand at their post around the clock.
No, those people did not know that no security could disrupt God’s plans, because Christ’s mission would be completed only when he was resurrected. This means that all that remains is to wait for the fulfillment of this promise. And this was exactly the case when the promised one waits not for three years, but for three days.
After all, on Sunday a great miracle will happen, which a good half of humanity still remembers today. We call it Bright Easter - a holiday of hope and good changes, the victory of life over death, spring over winter, the forces of light over the forces of darkness.
But the other hero of this story faced real death, without the prospect of resurrection. Judas Iscariot never got to enjoy his $6,000. After the death of Christ, he was terribly afraid for his transgression, realizing that he had done something terrible.
Taking a wallet with 30 ill-fated pieces of silver, the traitor went to the conspirators to return the money to them. But the life of the innocently murdered man could not be returned. And the attackers had nothing to do with these bloody coins.
Judas became confused and threw the money right in the temple. The silver pieces rolled across the floor, jingling and bouncing alarmingly. This ominous sound seemed to foreshadow an imminent tragedy. Iscariot ran from the city and hanged himself on the first tree he came across.
The legend says that at first he wanted to hang himself on a birch tree, but it got scared and turned white with fear. Then the traitor committed suicide on an aspen tree. Since then, the aspen bush has been trembling in the wind more than others - apparently, it has never recovered from what happened.
From this short story it becomes clear that such an event is a real dramatic story, and Good Friday is called so for a reason. By the way, all days last week before Easter are called passionate (like the week itself), for example: Holy Thursday (aka Holy), Good Friday, Holy Saturday, etc.
It is also customary to call days great, because they are the most significant and revered in Christianity. Thus, Good Friday is, without exaggeration, a great, dramatic day, which even today requires a special attitude and respect from us.
What to do on Good Friday before Easter
Believers often ask questions about what can and cannot be done on Good Friday before Easter. Indeed, this is a special day of the year, and many will find it useful to know how to behave appropriately in connection with the events that happened 2000 years ago.
The most important thing to do on Good Friday is not even a visit to the temple, which many busy people There really may not be time left. Moreover, the service with the removal of the shroud is held during the day, when many are still at work. However, everyone can pay tribute to the Lord.
On such a day, it is worth paying attention to reflecting on the feat of Christ and reading the corresponding biblical story (for example, chapter 23 of Luke).
It won’t be superfluous to give alms or do any good deed that will really bring joy to someone. You can visit loved one, with whom we have not communicated for a long time. Reconcile and forgive grievances that have accumulated for a long time and are making themselves felt.
In a word, for modern people there is a certain freedom of choice, which is not denied by representatives of the church. The main thing is good aspirations, a sincere desire to pay tribute to the Lord.
Is it possible to do anything around the house on Good Friday?
The corresponding commentary is given by the rector of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker:
Good Friday is not a weekend in our country. Therefore, going to work is definitely necessary: it is the responsibility of every person, from which it is impossible to avoid.
And even Christ once said: “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” This means that we cannot escape from earthly affairs, and even less should we resist the social order.
That's why the answer to the question of whether you can work on Good Friday is clear: if you have to do it, then so be it.
What not to do on Good Friday
For a long time in Rus', on such a day they tried to follow very strict rules, for example:
- do nothing around the house, do not light a fire;
- do not sew or cut fabric;
- do not cook anything, do nothing around the house;
- do not work on the ground, do not dig, etc.
However, it is quite clear that the lifestyle modern man has changed to such an extent that sometimes we simply have no choice: we need to go to work, dress and feed our children, help our family, cook dinner, etc.
Therefore, everyone acts in accordance with the circumstances. The corresponding commentary is given by many representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, for example, Archpriest John Makarenko.
At the same time, it is intuitively clear what exactly should not be done on Good Friday before Easter:
- indulge in any carnal pleasures;
- spend the day having fun;
- drink alcohol;
- watch entertainment programs, performances, etc.
Such behavior in itself is not reprehensible - every person strives for pleasure. But on such a mournful day, a believer cannot rejoice fully, because in these hours 2000 years ago one of the most tragic events in the history of mankind took place. And having fun on Good Friday is almost the same as having a party on the day of a funeral or memorial.
PLEASE NOTE
Among the questions about what can be done on Good Friday, believers are interested in baking Easter cakes and dyeing boiled eggs. According to tradition, it is better to do this on Maundy Thursday or at least on Saturday. It is not advisable to do such things on Friday, except in situations of extreme necessity.
Fasting on Good Friday
Also, one of the important questions is what you can’t eat on Good Friday before Easter. This time is considered the strictest during the entire Lent. Believers should not eat anything or even drink water until the end of the service and the removal of the shroud. And then, in the evening, you can drink water and eat bread. There is no need to prepare any dishes - all this time the mourning for the crucified Lord continues.
Quite strict rules continue to apply on Saturday. The better the holiday itself will be - Light Christ's Resurrection, when it is allowed to eat any food, and a few glasses of good red wine are also not forbidden.
At the same time, church representatives say that each person should act according to their feelings. For example, if someone has a stomach illness or we are talking about a pregnant or nursing mother, you should not refuse food and water, because we are talking about health.
Here is Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko’s commentary on this matter:
Thus, it is even intuitively easy for every person to understand what can and cannot be done on Good Friday. Of course, our plans sometimes do not coincide with real life circumstances, and then we have to act differently.
But in any case, we can plan our day in advance so as to pay enough attention to spiritual matters, and not just earthly ones. If there are any doubts or additional questions arise, it is better to consult with a priest or another person whom you sincerely trust.
