Good Friday Holiday Overview
Good Friday is celebrated every year all around the globe on the Friday before Easter Sunday. Therefore, the dates of Good Friday change every year, occurring between March 20 and April 23. Good Friday is also known as Great Friday, Black Friday, Easter Friday, Long Friday and Silent Friday or Holy Friday. It is actually a religious holiday of the Christians in order to observe the sacrificial death of Christ, also known as Jesus. Good Friday is no doubt the most austere day in the Christian calendar. Christians in different parts of the world observe this day with great humility, performing their prayers in the Church, fasting and compunction.
Instructions
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1
As per the history of Good Friday, the martyrdom of Jesus Christ who was the leading figure in the Christian faith took place on the day. The Gospels, the high priests of the Roman province of Judaea, state that Jesus was put to death on the Friday before Easter day. However, it was only in the 4th century that the churches realized the importance of this day and began to observe the Friday before Easter as Good Friday.
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Good Friday has great importance for Christians, as it is an opportunity for them to show their love to Jesus Christ - the central figure of Christianity. According to the teachings of Christianity, Christ was the Son of God and the second member of Holy Trinity who came to Earth to die and take away people's sins with him. The death of Christ was no doubt a great loss for Christianity; therefore, they mark Good Friday as a day of mourning rather than a day of festive joy. The importance of Good Friday in the history of Christianity is quite clear from the fact that it denotes the victory of good over evil.
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What is so good about Good Friday?
Since Good Friday is a day of mourning, it seems a little awkward to call it "Good" Friday. However, Christian experts believe that there could be two possibilities. First, might be that Good Friday was once called God Friday, which later indiscreetly became Good Friday. Secondly, it is considered good by the Christians because the sacrifice of Chris Jesus allows His believers to go to heaven and live eternally.
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Anguishing, agonizing, fasting, and praying, are the foremost Good Friday traditions. The Christians, along with their priests, make sure to keep their churches lightless for 24 hours. Draping the Churches in black cloth is also among common Good Friday Traditions. The priests and deacons prefer to wear black vestments on this day.
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5
In order to grieve over the sacrifice of Jesus, the ornaments of the churches are stripped off and the altar is always set bare. Customary public worships are held in the churches from noon and continue for the next three hours, as the Christians believe that Jesus was excruciated at 3 O’clock in the afternoon. The priests read verses from the Gospel aloud, followed by a silent meditation, and hymns by the Christians. In addition to that, they keep the door of the Tabernacle open for the whole day.
