Good Friday is the most mournful day of the church year for Orthodox Christians. On this day, believers remember the trial of Jesus, his mockery and beating, execution and painful death through crucifixion.
A bit of history
According to the Bible, on this day, the captured Jesus appeared before the Sanhedrin - the highest judicial and religious body of ancient Judea. Six days before that, Christ raised the righteous Lazarus. After this miracle, the Jewish officials were even more firmly established in their decision to kill Christ.
However, the Sanhedrin could not execute him without an order from the prosecutor Pontius Pilate, who at that time ruled over Judea. He did not consider Christ guilty and offered to release him on the occasion of the celebration of Easter, but a large crowd of people demanded to release not Jesus, but the criminal Barabbas. That is why Pilate decided to approve the Sanhedrin's request, ordering the execution of Christ. As a sign that he was not involved in this, the prosecutor washed his hands in front of the crowd. It was from there that the expression “I wash my hands” came from, that is, I resign myself from responsibility.
Jesus was first publicly whipped with a whip, and then forced to carry a huge cross to Golgotha, where he was crucified. Together with him, two criminals were crucified on the crosses. The secret disciple of Jesus, Joseph of Arimathea, was able to beg Pilate for the body of his teacher. He carefully removed it from the cross, covered it with a shroud and placed it in the tomb.
What you can do on Good Friday
On this day, it is advisable to visit the church. The Good Friday service includes a reading of the gospel account of the above events. It is read three times.
In the morning service, the Twelve Gospels are read, chronologically recounting the events of Good Friday. At the Great Hour (a service for remembering certain sacred events), the narratives of the four evangelists (Luke, Mark, John and Matthew) are read separately. At Vespers, the events of Friday are recounted in one long, compound gospel.
If Good Friday falls on the Annunciation, then the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is also served in the church, and at Vespers a special canon is sung and the Shroud is brought out (a plate with a full-length image of Jesus lying in a tomb). After taking it out, it is installed in the very "heart" of the temple. It is customary to decorate the shroud with flowers in memory of how the body of the buried Jesus, the myrrh-bearing wife, was anointed with incense.
Dos and Don'ts on Good Friday
It is better not to do any household chores on this day, especially sewing, knitting, cutting, washing, and also cleaning up the cemetery. Violation of this prohibition is considered a gross sin. Also, on Good Friday, you should not paint eggs, bake cakes and make cottage cheese Easter. All this had to be prepared on Maundy Thursday. If you haven't made it in time, postpone your Easter preparations until Saturday. Those who adhere to strict fasting rules don't even wash their faces on Friday. On this day, nothing should distract from prayer and spiritual self-improvement.
Do not have a hearty meal. Believers should refrain from eating before taking out the Shroud (until 14-15 noon). After that, you can only eat black bread and drink water. Some of them go hungry on this day.
On Good Friday, the fun should be forgotten. On this day, it is not customary to walk, sing, listen to music. It is believed that a person who has spent Good Friday in fun will cry all year.
