The most important day of the pre-Easter week, which ends Lent, is rightfully considered the fifth in a row. Great Good Friday for Orthodox Christians is a very important moment, imbued with sadness, as well as reverence and humility. In 2020, Believers celebrate Great Good Friday - Great Friday, as the most mournful day of Holy Week is also called - on April 17. Why he was so noted in biblical history and why he deserved the above status - you will learn from this article.

Features of the holiday Good Friday

Good Friday is dedicated to important events in the earthly life of Jesus Christ that preceded his painful death, namely, condemnation to execution, suffering on the cross, including his very death for humanity. “The following of the holy and saving passions of our Lord Jesus Christ” is performed by the clergy of Christian churches on Good Good Friday in their churches. Worship on this day includes:

• Matins, which marks the time of the capture of the Messiah in the Garden of Gethsemane by torturers at the tip of Judas the traitor and the execution of a trial over an innocent man, as a result of which Jesus was sentenced to suffering and a terrible death;
• The first hour, symbolizing the moment of bringing the Son of God to Pilate for judgment;
• The third hour, representing the moment of the final verdict in the case of Jesus;
• The sixth hour, designed to remind of the passion of the Savior that he was crucified on the cross;
• The ninth hour is the moment of the death of the Messiah;
• Vespers celebrated in memory of the taking down of Jesus' body from the cross.

As you can see, the Liturgy is not on this list. It is not actually part of the Good Friday service. Reason: the Lord himself sacrificed himself to humanity on this day. Instead of this type of church service, the priest performs the Royal Hours.

Now let’s take a little more detail about exactly how the service takes place on the most mournful day of Lent - Great Good Friday. At Matins, which, by the way, is traditionally held not on the morning of Good Friday, but on the evening of Maundy Thursday, a representative of the church reads, standing in the middle of the church, “The 12 Gospels of the Holy Passion of Christ.” The authorship of the latter belongs to all four evangelists, and the essence of the sacred books boils down to the story of the suffering of Jesus, where the beginning is what happened at the Last Supper, and the ending is the burial of Christ in the garden of Joseph of Arimathea. The tradition of reading the 12 Passion Gospels comes from the Apostolic tradition. But before the announcement of the gospel of Christ’s Passion, the following is sung: “Glory to Your long-suffering, O Lord.” Throughout the entire story, believers in the temple stand with lit candles.

What happens on Vespers, celebrated on Good Friday? Since it is dedicated to the memory of the removal of Christ’s body from the crucifixion, the same is done by the clergy in the Orthodox church. Representatives of the church sing the troparion “Blessed Joseph, from the tree I will take down Your most pure Body...”, then they lift the Shroud from the Throne (an icon depicting the Savior lying in the tomb) and take it outside the altar. Then they place her in a place of honor in the middle of the temple - a special table, symbolizing the tomb. All those present at the service worship Christ, depicted on the Shroud, and kiss his wounds and ulcers received from blows with a spear at the time of execution. The “body” of the Savior is in the center of the temple for three days, until Easter. In this way, the church reminds the flock of the Messiah's three-day stay in the tomb.

On Good Friday they adhere to the strictest fast according to church regulations. Not only is it forbidden to eat anything, but even drinking water is prohibited. People who are unable to comply with such restrictions adhere to this principle only until the Shroud is removed from the altar. Afterwards they eat only water and bread.

The last day of Jesus' earthly life

The Bible tells us about the sequence of events that preceded the death of the Son of God on the Cross. It would not be amiss to remember or get acquainted - for some - with this chronology.

So, after praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ found himself in custody. In the morning, Jesus was taken to Pontius Pilate. The Jews did not come with him, since this meant desecration for them, and in such a state they could not eat Passover (this holiday already existed among the Jews at that time). But it must be said that the Savior celebrated the legal Passover the day before his own death, because he longed to be slain along with the Passover lamb assigned for this purpose. Pilate went out to the Jews who had brought Christ and began asking the accusers what Jesus’ guilt was.

They were unable to give any intelligible answer to this. Then Pontius sent the Son of God to Herod, but the Savior then again appeared before Pilate. And Pilate, having not found any evidence of Christ’s guilt, turned to the Jews who dreamed of killing Jesus: “Take Him, and crucify Him, and judge Him according to your law.”

However, the Jews could not kill anyone - this is precisely what their law did not allow them to do. Cruel people plotted to crucify Christ with the hands of Pilate. Then Pontius Pilate asked the Savior a question; “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered that he is the Eternal King, and his kingdom is not of this world. Pilate, not wanting to put Christ to death, announced that he did not find him guilty, and offered to release one of the three prisoners for the sake of Easter - as we remember, in addition to the Messiah, several more robbers were brought to trial. And the Jews, apparently contrary to Pilate’s expectations, showed their mercy not to Jesus, but to the criminal Barabbas.

Pilate gave Christ to the tormentors and gave orders, ordering them to first beat the Savior, then dress him in purple, place a crown of thorns on his head and ridicule him. Everything was done exactly. So they mocked Christ, remembering how he proclaimed himself the King of the Jews. Pilate probably believed that his humiliation of Jesus would be sufficient to satisfy the anger of the Jews. But it was not there. The crowd began to shout to Pontius: “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”, threatening: “If you let Him go, you are not a friend of Caesar.” Fear turned out to be stronger than the truth, and Christ was sentenced to death...

Then there was the difficult journey of Jesus to Golgotha ​​with a heavy cross on his shoulders, and at three o’clock in the afternoon the torturers crucified the Son of God on this same cross at the Place of Execution. On the edges of him they crucified two thieves in the same way, wanting to include the innocent Jesus among the villains. As soon as this happened, the sun suddenly darkened, and this lasted for three hours, and there were other signs. Nevertheless, the tormentors continued to mock the unfortunate man.

When Jesus died, everyone went away. Near the cross only the Mother of God, the disciple of Christ John and Mary of Cleopas remained. Finding Jesus lifeless, one of the tormentors pierced his body with a spear. Water and blood flowed from the wound. The Teacher's body was removed from the cross by the Savior's disciple Joseph from Arimathea. Together with Nicodemus, they wrapped the body in shrouds with incense and placed the remains in Joseph's rock-cut tomb.

This is how the Savior laid down his life for the entire human race on Good Good Friday. Therefore, this day should be spent in deep thought and prayer.

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Good Friday is the saddest day of the year for a Christian believer. Find out what beliefs and prohibitions are associated with the Friday before Easter.

Great or Good Friday - the essence of the date

Of all the days of the Great Week, this one is mournful. 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. The 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.

What not to do on Good Friday

You can't do housework on Good Friday - it's a sin. It is better to do household chores in . It is also better to take care of personal hygiene in advance; on Friday, leave all earthly affairs and engage in spirituality. The exception is making Easter cakes, but more on that below. It is customary to transport bees on this day to avoid their death.

One of the most serious sins is "pierce the ground", that is, work in the garden. Plant anything on the Friday before Easter - there will be no harvest, and trouble will come to the house. This does not apply to cabbage and parsley. Sown now, they will yield a double harvest.

You cannot spit on the ground, lest the saints and angels turn away for a whole year. Working with metal tools is especially prohibited; they symbolize the spear with which Christ was killed. Even cutting bread is prohibited; it must be broken with your hands.

On Good Friday you cannot cut your hair or dye your hair - this will lead to loss of health and beauty. It is better to refuse cosmetic and medical procedures.

According to the church, the entire day before should be devoted to prayer and reflection on the sacrifice of Christ. Observing Lent is not only about food. Children conceived on Good Friday will be born sick or grow up to be evil, cruel people. Whoever gets drunk on the day of the death of the Son of God will turn into an alcoholic within a year.

On Good Friday you cannot rejoice and have fun. Therefore, it is better to postpone your birthday or other holiday to another time. This date is dedicated to universal grief. Laughing, singing, talking loudly and walking for fun is not allowed. Whoever laughs on the Friday before Easter will cry for a year.

Signs for Friday before Easter

Our ancestors noticed a way to check a house for damage. Go to a church service in the morning, do not forget to buy a candle before it begins, with which you are supposed to stand until the end of the service. Bring the rest of the candle home. With it, go around the whole house, without missing a single room. Near the damaged object, the candle will begin to crackle and smoke.

To attract prosperity, you need to bring 12 candles from the church. Place them around the house and light them. Let them burn out. If you consider yourself a wealthy person, for additional income, treat those in need.

In the old days they believed that if you wash clothes on the Friday before Easter and hang them outside to dry, traces of blood will appear on them - a reminder that household chores are prohibited.

Whoever abstains from food and water before the beginning of Holy Saturday will know the exact time and cause of death three days before his death. No drink can then harm someone who was thirsty on Easter Friday. Anyone who falls ill on this date will recover quickly.

The Friday before Easter is the best day to wean your baby. The child will grow up healthy and strong, there will be a lot of happiness in his life.

Wipe the corners of the house with a clean rag and hide it from strangers. It helps with diseases of the lower back and legs. After the bath, you need to tie a rag around the sore spot and leave it overnight. On Maundy Thursday, stoves are cleaned of ash, from Good Friday kept to treat the evil eye, depression and alcoholism. A ring made of any precious metal, consecrated in the church, protects against disease.

Baking on Good Friday

The church and a number of omens advise you to prepare Easter cakes and paint eggs - you cannot do housework on Good Friday. But folk legends endow baked goods prepared on this day with magical properties..

When starting to prepare dishes for the Easter table, read any prayer you know. The housewife should make the dough alone, without helpers. No one should see it, the dish will turn out tasteless. While the baked goods are in the oven, prevent your family from making noise so that the cakes turn out fluffy and beautiful.

Easter cake baked on Good Friday is not eaten entirely on Easter. The portion must be kept behind the icons until the next Great Week. Pieces of this Easter cake are given to patients to improve their well-being. It also protects against fires and natural disasters. The cake prepared on this day will not mold.

Bread is baked on Friday. It is not eaten, but stored in the house. Bread baked on Good Friday- a strong talisman against diseases and natural disasters. He protects the house from thieves and the machinations of enemies. It's good if the bread turns out beautiful. If it is burnt, you should beware of trouble.

Baked goods are stored until the next Holy Week. It is not thrown into the trash, but fed to the birds.

Good Friday is a time of bodily restrictions and spiritual self-improvement. Put aside worldly affairs and devote time to church, prayer and reflection on God. Ancient signs will help attract wealth and good luck, get rid of troubles and illnesses.

Crucifixion

The most mournful day of the year has arrived for the Orthodox - Good Friday. It was today, almost two millennia ago, that Jesus Christ was crucified on the Cross, atonement for human sins.

Here is a brief chronology of events from Thursday night to Friday evening, as described by the Orthodox Encyclopedia.

On Thursday, after the Last Supper and Farewell Conversation, the Savior and his disciples went to Gethsemane (the garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives), where they spent part of the night (the disciples in slumber, and Christ in prayer) until the arrival of Judas Iscariot with an armed crowd from the high priests and the elders of Israel. Jesus was arrested and his disciples fled. Christ was taken to the high priest Annas, and then appeared before Caiaphas (before dawn) and the court of the Sanhedrin (in the morning), which sentenced Him to death. At this time, the Apostle Peter, who was following the Teacher and awaiting the outcome of the matter in the courtyard, denied Him three times.

After the verdict was pronounced, Christ was taken to the Roman procurator Pontius Pilate (he was the plenipotentiary representative of the Roman authorities and, among other things, was in charge of capital punishment), who sent Him to the tetrarch Herod Antipas, who ruled in Galilee (for Jesus was from Galilee; thereby Pontius Pilate wanted to transfer Herod responsible for the death of Christ). After being interrogated, mocked and ridiculed by Herod, Jesus was again brought before Pilate. Despite his desire to release Christ and after several unsuccessful attempts to do so, Pontius Pilate, under pressure from the Jewish high priests and the crowd, handed Him over to be crucified.

Upon learning of the verdict, Judas, who repented of his betrayal, committed suicide. After scourging and humiliation in the praetorium, Jesus Christ was taken outside of Jerusalem and crucified by Roman soldiers, who divided His vestments among themselves, on Golgotha ​​(the Place of Execution, where, according to legend, Adam’s skull was buried. Having endured several hours of suffering on the cross, witnessed by many people, Jesus Christ died on the Cross, “and the veil of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom; and the earth shook; and the stones were split; and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised” (Matthew 27:51-52).

Two of His secret disciples, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, took the Body of Jesus from the Cross, wrapped it in a shroud and buried it “in the tomb” - a small cave not far from Golgotha, covering it with a large stone. Women followers of Christ (myrrh-bearers) were present at the burial. The next day, at the request of the Israeli elders (who were afraid that Jesus' disciples would steal His Body and announce the resurrection), Pontius Pilate ordered Roman soldiers to seal the cave and guard it.

And the next day the Resurrection of Christ took place. The belief that the Son of God, having suffered for people, was resurrected, is the basis and main gospel of Christianity. Therefore, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter (the so-called Paschal Triduum) are central in the church calendar. The Good Friday service is entirely devoted to the remembrance of events from the end of the Last Supper to the burial of the Most Pure Body of the Lord Jesus Christ (like other days of Holy Week, Good Friday as a liturgical day opens not with Vespers, but with Matins and ends with Compline).

What is a crucifixion? What monstrous torments did Jesus Christ endure for people? This is how the famous Orthodox missionary Protodeacon Andrey Kuraev explains it:

“Cicero called this execution the most terrible of all executions that people have come up with. Its essence is that the human body hangs on the cross in such a way that the fulcrum is in the chest. When a person's arms are raised above shoulder level and he hangs without supporting his legs, the entire weight of the upper half of the body falls on the chest. As a result of this tension, blood begins to flow to the muscles of the pectoral girdle and stagnates there. The muscles gradually begin to stiffen. Then the phenomenon of asphyxia occurs: the pectoral muscles, cramped, compress the chest. The muscles do not allow the diaphragm to expand, the person cannot take air into the lungs and begins to die from suffocation. Such executions sometimes lasted several days. To speed it up, the person was not simply tied to the cross, as in most cases, but was nailed. Forged faceted nails were driven between the radial bones of the arm, next to the wrist. On its way, the nail met a nerve ganglion, through which the nerve endings go to the hand and control it. The nail interrupts this nerve node. In itself, touching an exposed nerve is a terrible pain, but here all these nerves are broken. But not only can he breathe in this position, he has only one way out - he must find some kind of support point in his own body in order to free his chest for breathing. A nailed person has only one possible support point - these are his legs, which are also pierced in the metatarsus. The nail goes between the small bones of the metatarsus. The person should lean on the nails that pierced his legs, straighten his knees and raise his body, thereby relieving the pressure on his chest. Then he can breathe. But since his hands are also nailed, his hand begins to rotate around the nail. To breathe, a person must turn his hand around a nail, which is by no means round and smooth, but completely covered with jagged edges and sharp edges. This movement is accompanied by pain on the verge of shock.

The Gospel says that Christ's suffering lasted about six hours. To speed up the execution, guards or executioners often broke the legs of the crucified person with a sword. The man lost his last point of support and quickly suffocated. The guards who guarded Golgotha ​​on the day of Christ's crucifixion were in a hurry; they needed to finish their terrible task before sunset for the reason that after sunset, Jewish law forbade touching a dead body, and it was impossible to leave these bodies until tomorrow, because a great holiday was approaching - Jewish Passover, and three corpses should not have hung over the city. Therefore, the execution team is in a hurry. And so, St. John specifically notes that the soldiers broke the legs of two thieves crucified with Christ, but did not touch Christ himself, because they saw that He was dead. It is not difficult to notice this on the cross. As soon as a person stops moving up and down endlessly, it means he is not breathing, it means he is dead...

Evangelist Luke reports that when the Roman centurion pierced Jesus’ chest with a spear, blood and water poured out of the wound. According to doctors, we are talking about fluid from the pericardial sac. The spear pierced the chest on the right side, reached the pericardial sac and the heart - this is a professional blow from a soldier who aims at the side of the body that is not blocked by a shield and hits in such a way as to immediately reach the heart. Blood will not flow from an already dead body. The fact that blood and water poured out means that the heart blood mixed with the fluid of the pericardial sac even earlier, even before the last wound. The heart could not stand the torment. Christ died of a broken heart earlier.”

It is worth recalling here that Russian Orthodox Christians are not Monophysites, like the Armenians. In our understanding, Jesus Christ is the God-man. Those. the one who is not only the Lord, but also, like all of us, feels any physical pain of the body. This is the torment Jesus Christ endured while saving us. As the Gospel of John says: “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Here is what the outstanding pastor of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archimandrite John (Krestyankin), said about this event:

“The life of Christ, which continues in the world, has led us today to Golgotha, to the empty Cross of the Divine Sufferer, to His tomb. And twenty centuries ago, at this time, only the closest ones remained around His lifeless body, mourning their love and unfulfilled hopes.

The last exclamation of the Dying One on the Cross: “It is accomplished,” was heard by friends and foes. And no one yet understood the cause for which He died. Now, just as the sun is reflected and plays in a drop of dew with the joy of life, so in every Church throughout the entire earth the events of those tragic and saving days are reflected: the Cross of the Lord and the Shroud of Christ are lifted up, they speak of the greatest feat in the history of the world that took place on Calvary.

The Kingdom of God appeared on earth as the Savior and Redeemer and is called the Church of Christ. And today Golgotha ​​would no longer accommodate everyone who brought their love to the Savior’s pierced feet. It is the Lord who fulfills His promise: “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to Me.” (John 12:32).

We are now, standing at the shroud, already awaiting His Resurrection. Maybe this is why we cannot feel the gracious bitterness of Christ’s passion, nor hold back the forty-day joy of the coming Easter. But today is Good Friday - a day of great sorrow and deep thought. “Let all human flesh be silent and think of nothing earthly within itself.”

On Good Friday, all humanity from Adam to the last earthly being must stand before the shroud with their heads bowed. It was through their sin that death entered the world, their crimes created the Calvary execution. It is scary to recognize oneself as a criminal, it is unbearable to see oneself as the culprit of death - a murderer. And this is a fact! All of us, without exception, are involved in this death...

Let us listen, dear ones, to what the silent Savior tells us: “For you, for your salvation, I died. And there is no greater love than that which laid down its life for its friends. The thought of you, sinner, the desire to save you gave Me the strength to endure the unbearable. You heard how, in My humanity, I grieved and grieved in the Garden of Gethsemane on the eve of suffering. The heart without words cried out to the Heavenly Father: “Let this cup pass by me.” But the memory of you, your eternal death, compassion and mercy for God’s perishing creation overcame the fear of temporary inhuman torment. And My will merged with the will of My Father and His love with My love for you, and with this power I overcame the unbearable. “The sins of the whole world are burdened upon Me.” I have taken upon myself your burden, which is beyond your strength...

The Lord dispelled the darkness of darkness that prevailed in the world before His coming, illuminated the path to the Kingdom of Heaven, but even today the enemy of God has his part in unbelievers, pagans, and sinners who do not know repentance. Just as during the ministry of Christ, his fellow tribesmen replaced God’s Truths with lies and turned into hypocritical ritualists, so now are we not repeating their errors. In words, “Lord, Lord”! and in life: “have me renounced.”

On Friday, which we call Great, or Passionate, the most terrible event in the history of mankind happened - Jesus Christ was crucified. Therefore, we do not celebrate this day, for it is not a holiday, but a day of great sorrow, but we live - praying, believing, compassion.

On Good Friday, all Christians around the world mourn the Savior. In 2018, this day falls on the sixth of April.

HISTORY OF THE SORRY DAY Judas betrayed the teacher Christ; Jesus was accused of sedition and sedition. The procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate, understood that this was a libel, but pronounced a harsh sentence. Christ himself carried his cross to the place of crucifixion, and two thieves were crucified with him. On this terrible day, the people mourning Christ did not know that he would rise again, and Friday services today are dedicated to the suffering that Jesus went through in the last hours of his earthly life. Services in Christian churches are somewhat different: in Orthodox churches on this day a special canon is read and the shroud is taken out of the altar; Catholics hold a religious procession service.

WHAT NOT TO DO ON GOOD FRIDAY

Since this is the Day of Tribulation, you should avoid any household work - cleaning, washing, even sewing is not recommended. Work on the garden and land is also prohibited. You can't dig, or even plant seedlings - nothing, and everything that is planted is considered to not bring any harvest. On Good Friday, strict fasting is observed, or even refusal of food, and alcohol is prohibited. A ban was imposed on carnal pleasures and any entertainment activities. Well, folk traditions say that on this day you can’t cut your hair or dye your hair. All work should be completed on Maundy Thursday. It is precisely designed to repair everything, wash, wash, etc. Naturally, on this day noisy celebrations, fun, and stagnation are prohibited - even in the case of a family celebration. It is recommended to postpone birthdays and celebrate them later, after the Easter celebrations.

WHAT YOU CAN DO ON GOOD FRIDAY

It is recommended to spend this day in peace and quiet, praying, remembering the suffering of Jesus Christ, which he accepted in the name of humanity. We need to go to the temple. The realities of our lives do not allow most of us to go to church for all the recommended services, but attend at least the most important one - Vespers, when the Shroud is brought to the center of the church. This fabric features a full-length image of Christ - the cut in which his body was wrapped, imprinted on it. During the service, believers stand with their heads bowed, and then venerate the Shroud at the end of the service.

WHAT CAN YOU EAT ON GOOD FRIDAY

Church canons prescribe complete abstinence from food on this day. But not everyone can stand it. When the first star appears in the sky, you can eat some bread and drink water. If your confessor allows it, you can simply observe strict fasting. At the same time, you can cook on Friday. It is believed that Lenten bread prepared on Good Friday can cure ailments.

MAIN SYMBOLS OF GOOD FRIDAY

The mournful day has the main material symbol - the Shroud. It is believed that the real Shroud is kept in Turin, and on this day many people strive to make a pilgrimage there. In some countries, on Good Friday it is customary to organize picturesque theatrical performances telling about the events of two thousand years ago, but the church is wary of them.

FOLK SIGNS

Among the traditions and signs associated with this mournful day, there are some truly unusual ones. So, for example, according to one of the beliefs, someone who abstains from food on Good Friday for three years in a row will see his impending death three days before his death. And according to another belief, for those who do not eat on Good Friday, God forgives all sins. They also believe that if after the service on Good Friday you bring a candle into the house and light it in the Red Corner, your family and friends will be healthy. However, the church does not give any instructions on this matter - these are really all beliefs.

Good Friday is the most mournful day of Holy Week and the whole year for Orthodox Christians

On Great or Good Friday, Jesus Christ was crucified, accepting martyrdom on the Cross to atone for human sins.

The Fast of Good Friday is the strictest day of Lent; according to church canons, Orthodox Christians completely abstain from food at this time.

Church services
The services of Great or Good Friday are entirely devoted to the remembrance of the Savior’s sufferings on the cross - His crucifixion on Calvary, martyrdom, removal from the Cross and burial. All four Gospels describe these events in detail.

On Great or Good Friday there are three main services: Matins, the Royal Hours and Great Vespers with Little Compline.

At Matins - this service takes place on Maundy Thursday evening, in the middle of the temple twelve Gospel readings are read, selected from all four Gospels, which tell about the suffering of the Savior, starting with His last conversation with the disciples at the Last Supper and ending with His burial in the garden of Joseph of Arimathea and His death. to His tomb of the military guard.

Believers stand with lighted candles while reading the Gospel, thereby showing, on the one hand, that greatness and glory did not leave the Lord even during His suffering, and on the other hand, ardent love for their Savior.

There is no liturgy on Good Friday, because the Lord Himself sacrificed Himself on this day, with the exception of those years when Good Friday coincides with the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which Orthodox Christians celebrate on April 7. On Good Friday the Royal Hours are celebrated.

Vespers is celebrated at the third hour of the day - at this time it is believed that Jesus died on the cross. During the service, a special canon is sung about the crucifixion of the Lord and the Shroud is brought out - a cloth on which a full-length depiction of Jesus Christ lies in the tomb.

Usually during the service the Gospel is placed on the Shroud, and a censer is placed in front of it. The shroud is decorated with flowers in memory of how the myrrh-bearing women anointed the body of the buried Jesus with incense.
During the service, one must bow to the ground before the Shroud and venerate it. All Good Friday and Holy Saturday services begin and end in front of the Shroud, not at the altar.

The Shroud is located in the center of the temple for less than three days, symbolizing the three-day stay in the tomb of Jesus Christ. She is brought back to the altar a few minutes before the Easter procession.

In the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta (the ancient capital of Georgia), where the greatest relic, the Shroud of Jesus Christ, is kept, a special ritual is performed by placing a cross in front of the altar.

Good Friday is a time of mourning and remembrance for all believers, when everything earthly and mortal loses its meaning. At the same time, it is permeated through and through with the upcoming miracle of the Resurrection.

Good Friday - do's and don'ts
Fasting on Good Friday is very strict - believers abstain from eating until the removal of the Shroud, until approximately 15:00. After this time, you can only eat bread and drink water, and some even go hungry on this day.

In addition to observing strict fasting, believers must distance themselves as much as possible from worldly concerns, since they cannot work on this day. Good Friday has been declared an official holiday in many countries, including Georgia.

On Good Friday you cannot spin, sew, saw or chop, or cut anything. Agricultural work is also prohibited on this day; under no circumstances should you drive iron objects into the ground, similar to nailing them to a cross.

Therefore, on Maundy Thursday you need to redo all your affairs, and on Good Friday you need to go to church for service and pray. Parishioners, after the service, can take with them the twelve candles with which they stood in the temple. Then light these candles in the house until they burn out, trying to cover all corners. This will cleanse the atmosphere in the house and attract good things.

On Good Friday, nothing should distract from prayer and spiritual self-improvement, so on this day they refuse to cut their hair, dye their hair and generally any cosmetic procedures, and do not even wash their face.

The celebration of a birthday or anniversary, if it falls on Good Friday, must be postponed, because having fun and walking is prohibited on the day of universal sorrow. In the old days they said that whoever laughs on Good Friday will cry all year.

According to ancient tradition, eggs were painted on one of the days of Holy Week - the last week of Lent.
This ritual is recommended to be practiced on Maundy Thursday, when general cleaning and other activities are carried out at home in preparation for the Bright Resurrection of Christ.

But in some countries, including Georgia, according to tradition, people paint eggs, which symbolize the blood shed by the Savior, on Good Friday before sunset.

Signs, customs and traditions
It is necessary to abstain from drinking alcohol on Good Friday, as people who get drunk on this time risk becoming alcoholics.

On the day of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, one should also abstain from carnal pleasures - children conceived on Good Friday are either born sick or become violent criminals in the future.

You cannot spit on the ground on Good Friday - folk signs say that whoever spits on the ground will turn away all the Saints for the whole year.

You can determine whether there is damage to your house on Good Friday - to do this, you need to, with the remainder of the lit candle with which you defended the service, go around the entire apartment or house room by room. The candle will crackle loudly near the “damaged” item and begin to emit black smoke.

According to popular belief, there will be no harvest if you sow wheat or plant anything else on Good Friday.

You should also not do laundry on Good Friday - according to legend, if you wash your clothes and hang them out to dry, traces of blood will appear on them.

It is said that a person who completely abstains from food and water for this entire day will know the time of his death in three days.

In the old days, on Good Friday, people determined what year was expected - for this, waking up first thing in the morning, without talking to anyone, you had to look out the window. If you see a bird first, for a girl it means a new acquaintance, and for a guy it means good news.

Seeing a dog first in the morning foreshadowed sadness and sadness, a cat - to prosperity and a rich life, a young guy or man - you will be healthy all year, and a young girl - to prosperity.

To see an old, disabled or sick person in the morning, unfortunately, foreshadowed illness or a major loss, and the whole family - to live with all relatives in peace and harmony.

Healers used the magic of Good Friday for many purposes - they treated diseases, placed amulets, and spoke spells against illnesses. For example, stove ash taken on Good Friday helps in the treatment of alcoholism, the evil eye and mortal melancholy.