Good Friday, also known asBlack Friday,Holy Friday,Great Friday,Great and Holy Friday, orFriday of the Passion of the Lord,[1][2] is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating thecrucifixion of Jesus and his death atCalvary. It is observed duringHoly Week as part of thePaschal Triduum.
The termGood Friday comes from the sense 'pious, holy' of the wordgood.[11] Less common examples of expressions based on this obsolete sense ofgood include 'the good book" for the Bible, 'good tide' for Christmas orShrovetide, andGood Wednesday for the Wednesday in Holy Week.[12] A commonfolk etymology incorrectly analyzesGood Friday as a corruption ofGod Friday, similar to the linguistically correct description ofgoodbye as a contraction of 'God be with ye'.[13] In Old English, the day was calledLong Friday (langa frigedæg[ˈlɑŋɡɑˈfriːjedæj]),[clarification needed] and equivalents of this term are still used in Scandinavian languages and Finnish.[14]
According to the accounts in the Gospels, the royal soldiers, guided by Jesus' discipleJudas Iscariot,arrested Jesus in theGarden of Gethsemane. Judas received money (30 pieces of silver)[15] forbetraying Jesus and told the guards that whomeverhe kisses is the one they are to arrest. Following his arrest, Jesus was taken to the house ofAnnas, the father-in-law of thehigh priest,Caiaphas. There he was interrogated with little result and sent bound to Caiaphas the high priest where theSanhedrin had assembled.[16]
Conflicting testimony against Jesus was brought forth by many witnesses, to which Jesus answered nothing. Finally the high priest adjured Jesus to respond under solemn oath, saying "I adjure you, by the Living God, to tell us, are you the Anointed One, the Son of God?" Jesus testified ambiguously, "You have said it, and in time you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty, coming on the clouds of Heaven." The high priest condemned Jesus forblasphemy, and theSanhedrin concurred with a sentence of death.[17] Peter, waiting in the courtyard, alsodenied Jesus three times to bystanders while the interrogations were proceeding just as Jesus had foretold.
In the morning, the whole assembly brought Jesus to the Roman governorPontius Pilate under charges of subverting the nation, opposing taxes to Caesar, and making himself a king.[18] Pilate authorized the Jewish leaders to judge Jesus according to their own law and execute sentencing; however, the Jewish leaders replied that they were not allowed by the Romans to carry out a sentence of death.[19]
Pilate questioned Jesus and told the assembly that there was no basis for sentencing. Upon learning that Jesus was from Galilee, Pilate referred the case to the ruler ofGalilee,King Herod, who was inJerusalem for thePassover Feast.Herod questioned Jesus but received no answer; Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate. Pilate told the assembly that neither he nor Herod found Jesus to be guilty; Pilate resolved to have Jesus whipped and released.[20] Under the guidance of the chief priests, the crowd asked forBarabbas, who had been imprisoned for committing murder during an insurrection. Pilate asked what they would have him do with Jesus, and they demanded, "Crucify him."[21]Pilate's wife had seen Jesus in a dream earlier that day, and she forewarned Pilate to "have nothing to do with this righteous man."[22] Pilate had Jesusflogged and then brought him out to the crowd to release him. The chief priests informed Pilate of a new charge, demanding Jesus be sentenced to death "because he claimed to be God's son." This possibility filled Pilate with fear, and he brought Jesus back inside the palace and demanded to know from where he came.[23]
Coming before the crowd one last time, Pilate declared Jesus innocent and washed his own hands in water to show he had no part in this condemnation. Nevertheless, Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified in order to forestall a riot.[24] The sentence written was "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Jesus carried his cross to the site of execution (assisted bySimon of Cyrene), called the "place of the Skull", or "Golgotha" in Hebrew and in Latin "Calvary". There he was crucified along with two criminals.[25]
With a loud cry, Jesus gave up his spirit. There was an earthquake, tombs broke open, and the curtain in the Temple was torn from top to bottom. Thecenturion on guard at the site of crucifixion declared, "Truly this was God's Son!"[28]
Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin and a secret follower of Jesus, who had not consented to his condemnation, went to Pilate to request the body of Jesus.[29] Another secret follower of Jesus and member of the Sanhedrin namedNicodemus brought about a hundred-pound weight mixture of spices and helped wrap the body of Jesus.[30] Pilate asked confirmation from the centurion of whether Jesus was dead.[31] A soldier pierced the side of Jesus with a lance causing blood and water to flow out,[32] and the centurion informed Pilate that Jesus was dead.[33]
Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus' body, wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and placed it in his own new tomb that had been carved in the rock[34] in a garden near the site of the crucifixion. Nicodemus[35] also brought 75 pounds ofmyrrh andaloes, and placed them in the linen with the body, in keeping with Jewish burial customs.[30] They rolled a large rock over the entrance of the tomb.[36] Then they returned home and rested, becauseShabbat had begun at sunset.[37]
Byzantine Christians (Eastern Christians who follow theRite of Constantinople:Orthodox Christians andGreek-Catholics) call this day "Great and Holy Friday", or simply "Great Friday".[38] Because the sacrifice of Jesus through his crucifixion is recalled on this day, theDivine Liturgy (the sacrifice of bread and wine) is never celebrated on Great Friday, except when this day coincides with theGreat Feast of theAnnunciation, which falls on the fixed date of 25 March (for those churches which follow the traditionalJulian Calendar, 25 March currently falls on 7 April of the modernGregorian Calendar). Also on Great Friday, the clergy no longer wear the purple or red that is customary throughoutGreat Lent,[39] but instead donblack vestments. There is no "stripping of the altar" onHoly and Great Thursday as in the West; instead, all of thechurch hangings are changed to black, and will remain so until the Divine Liturgy onGreat Saturday.[40][41]
The faithful revisit the events of the day through the public reading of specificPsalms and theGospels, and singinghymns about Christ's death. Rich visual imagery and symbolism, as well as stirring hymnody, are remarkable elements of these observances. In theOrthodox understanding, the events ofHoly Week are not simply an annual commemoration of past events, but the faithful actually participate in the death and theresurrection of Jesus.[42]
Great and Holy Friday is observed as an absolutefast, and adult Byzantine Christians are expected to abstain from all food and drink the entire day to the extent that their health permits. "On this Holy day neither a meal is offered nor do we eat on this day of the crucifixion. If someone is unable or has become very old [or is] unable to fast, he may be given bread and water after sunset. In this way we come to the holy commandment of the Holy Apostles not to eat on Great Friday." (cf.Black Fast)[42]
The Byzantine Christian observance of Holy and Great Friday, which is formally known asThe Order of Holy and Saving Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, begins on Thursday night with theMatins of the Twelve Passion Gospels. Scattered throughout thisMatins service are twelve readings from all four of the Gospels which recount the events of thePassion from theLast Supper through theCrucifixion andburial of Jesus. Some churches have a candelabrum with twelve candles on it, and after each Gospel reading one of the candles is extinguished.[43]
Good Friday cross from theCatholicon at Holy Trinity Monastery,Meteora, Greece
The first of these twelve readings[44] is the longest Gospel reading of theliturgical year, and is aconcatenation from allfour Gospels. Just before the sixth Gospel reading, which recounts Jesus being nailed to the cross, a largecross is carried out of the sanctuary by the priest, accompanied byincense and candles, and is placed in the center of thenave (where the congregation gathers)Sēmeron Kremātai Epí Xýlou:
Today He who hung the earth upon the waters is hung upon the Cross(three times). He who is King of the angels is arrayed in a crown of thorns. He who wraps the Heavens in clouds is wrapped in the purple of mockery. He who in Jordan set Adam free receives blows upon His face. The Bridegroom of the Church is transfixed with nails. The Son of the Virgin is pierced with a spear. We venerate Thy Passion, O Christ(three times). Show us also Thy glorious Resurrection.[45][46]
The readings are:
John 13:31-18:1 – Christ's last sermon, Jesus prays for theapostles.
John 18:1–28 – The agony in thegarden, the mockery and denial of Christ.
Matthew 26:57–75 – The mockery of Christ,Peter denies Christ.
John 18:28–19:16 –Pilate questions Jesus; Jesus is condemned; Jesus is mocked by the Romans.
Matthew 27:3–32 –Judas commits suicide; Jesus is condemned; Jesus mocked by the Romans;Simon of Cyrene compelled to carry the cross.
During the service, all come forward to kiss the feet of Christ on the cross. After theCanon, a brief, moving hymn,The Wise Thief is chanted by singers who stand at the foot of the cross in the center of the nave. The service does not end with theFirst Hour, as usual, but with a specialdismissal by the priest:
May Christ our true God, Who for the salvation of the world endured spitting, and scourging, and buffeting, and the Cross, and death, through the intercessions of Hismost pure Mother, of our holy andGod-bearing fathers, and of all thesaints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.
The next day, in the forenoon on Friday, all gather again to pray theRoyal Hours,[47] a special expanded celebration of theLittle Hours (including the First Hour,Third Hour,Sixth Hour,Ninth Hour andTypica) with the addition of scripture readings (Old Testament,Epistle and Gospel) and hymns about the Crucifixion at each of the Hours (some of the material from the previous night is repeated). This is somewhat more festive in character, and derives its name of "Royal" from both the fact that the Hours are served with more solemnity than normal, commemorating Christ the King who humbled himself for the salvation of mankind, and also from the fact that this service was in the past attended by the Emperor and his court.[48]
In the afternoon, around 3 pm, all gather for the Vespers of the Taking-Down from the Cross,[49] commemorating theDeposition from the Cross. Following Psalm 103 (104) and the Great Litany, 'Lord, I call' is sung without a Psalter reading. The first five stichera (the first being repeated) are taken from the Aposticha at Matins the night before, but the final 3 of the 5 are sung in Tone 2. Three more stichera in Tone 6 lead to the Entrance. The Evening Prokimenon is taken from Psalm 21 (22): 'They parted My garments among them, and cast lots upon My vesture.'
There are then four readings, with Prokimena before the second and fourth:
Exodus 33:11-23 - God shows Moses His glory
The second Prokimenon is from Psalm 34 (35): 'Judge them, O Lord, that wrong Me: fight against them that fight against Me.'
Job 42:12-20 - God restores Job's wealth (note that verses 18-20 are found only in the Septuagint)
The third Prokimenon is from Psalm 87 (88): 'They laid me in the lowest pit: in dark places and in the shadow of death.'
1 Corinthians 1:18-2:2 - St. Paul places Christ crucified as the centre of the Christian life
An Alleluia is then sung, with verses from Psalm 68 (69): 'Save Me, O God: for the waters are come in, even unto my soul.'
The Gospel reading is a composite taken from three of the four the Gospels (Matthew 27:1-38; Luke 23:39-43; Matthew 27:39-54; John 19:31-37; Matthew 27:55-61), essentially the story of the crucifixion as it appears according to St. Matthew, interspersed with St. Luke's account of the confession of the Good Thief and St. John's account of blood and water flowing from Jesus' side. During the Gospel, the body of Christ (thesoma) is removed from the cross, and, as the words in the Gospel reading mention Joseph of Arimathea, is wrapped in a linen shroud, and taken to thealtar in the sanctuary.
Theepitaphios ("winding sheet"), depicting the preparation of the body of Jesus for burial
The Aposticha reflects on the burial of Christ. Either at this point (in the Greek use) or during the troparion following (in the Slav use):
Noble Joseph, taking down Thy most pure body from the Tree, wrapped it in pure linen and spices, and he laid it in a new tomb.[50]
anepitaphios or "winding sheet" (a cloth embroidered with the image of Christ prepared for burial) is carried in procession to a low table in the nave which represents the Tomb of Christ; it is often decorated with an abundance of flowers. The epitaphios itself represents the body of Jesus wrapped in a burial shroud, and is a roughly full-size cloth icon of the body of Christ. The service ends with a hope of the Resurrection:
The Angel stood by the tomb, and to the women bearing spices he cried aloud: 'Myrrh is fitting for the dead, but Christ has shown Himself a stranger to corruption.[50]
Then the priest may deliver ahomily and everyone comes forward to venerate the epitaphios. In theSlavic practice, at the end of Vespers,Compline is immediately served, featuring a specialCanon of the Crucifixion of our Lord and the Lamentation of the Most Holy Theotokos by Symeon the Logothete.[51]
The Epitaphios being carried inprocession in a church in Greece
On Friday night, the Matins ofHoly and Great Saturday, a unique service known asThe Lamentation at the Tomb[52](Epitáphios Thrēnos) is celebrated. This service is also sometimes calledJerusalem Matins. Much of the service takes place around the tomb of Christ in the center of the nave.[53]
Epitaphios adorned for veneration, Church of Saints Constantine and Helen, Hippodromion Sq., Thessaloniki, Greece
A unique feature of the service is the chanting of the Lamentations or Praises (Enkōmia), which consist of verses chanted by the clergy interspersed between the verses ofPsalm 119 (which is, by far, the longestpsalm in the Bible). TheEnkōmia are the best-loved hymns of Byzantine hymnography, both their poetry and their music being uniquely suited to each other and to the spirit of the day.[54]
They consist of 185tercetantiphons arranged in three parts (stáseis or "stops"), which are interjected with the verses of Psalm 119, and nine shortdoxastiká ("Gloriae") andTheotókia (invocations to the Virgin Mary). The threestáseis are each set to its own music, and are commonly known by their initial antiphons:Ἡ ζωὴ ἐν τάφῳ, "Life in a grave",Ἄξιον ἐστί, "Worthy it is", andΑἱ γενεαὶ πᾶσαι, "All the generations". Musically they can be classified asstrophic, with 75, 62, and 48 tercetstanzas each, respectively.[54]
The climax of theEnkōmia comes during the thirdstásis, with the antiphon "Ω γλυκύ μου ἔαρ", a lamentation of the Virgin for her dead Child ("O, my sweet spring, my sweetest child, where has your beauty gone?"). Later, during a different antiphon of that stasis ("Early in the morning the myrrh-bearers came to Thee and sprinkled myrrh upon Thy tomb"), young girls of the parish place flowers on the Epitaphios and the priest sprinkles it with rose-water. The author(s) and date of theEnkōmia are unknown. Their High Attic linguistic style suggests a dating around the 6th century, possibly before the time ofSt. Romanos the Melodist.[54]
The Epitaphios mounted upon return of procession, at an Orthodox Church in Adelaide, Australia
The Evlogitaria (Benedictions) of the Resurrection are sung as on Sunday, since they refer to the conversation between the myrrh-bearers and the angel in the tomb, followed by kathismata about the burial of Christ. Psalm 50 (51) is then immediately read, and then followed by a much loved-canon, written by Mark the Monk, Bishop of Hydrous and Kosmas of the Holy City, with irmoi by Kassiani the Nun. The high-point of the much-loved Canon is Ode 9, which takes the form of a dialogue between Christ and the Theotokos, with Christ promising His Mother the hope of the Resurrection. This Canon will be sung again the following night at the Midnight Office.[55][56]
Lauds follows, and its stichera take the form of a funeral lament, while always preserving the hope of the Resurrection. The doxasticon links Christ's rest in the tomb with His rest on the seventh day of creation, and the theotokion ("Most blessed art thou, O Virgin Theotokos...) is the same as is used on Sundays.[citation needed]
At the end of theGreat Doxology, while theTrisagion is sung, the epitaphios is taken inprocession around the outside the church, and is then returned to the tomb. Some churches observe the practice of holding the epitaphios at the door, above waist level, so the faithful most bow down under it as they come back into the church, symbolizing their entering into the death and resurrection of Christ. The epitaphios will lay in the tomb until the Paschal Service early Sunday morning. In some churches, the epitaphios is never left alone, but is accompanied 24 hours a day by a reader chanting from the Psalter.[citation needed]
When the procession has returned to the church, a troparion is read, similar to the ones read at the Sixth Hour throughout Lent, focusing on the purpose of Christ's burial. A series of prokimena and readings are then said:
The first prokimenon is from Psalm 43 (44): 'Arise, Lord, and help us: and deliver us for Thy Name's sake.'
Ezekiel 37:1-14 - God tells Ezekiel to command bones to come to life.
The second prokimenon is from Psalm 9 (9–10), and is based on the verses sung at the kathismata and Lauds on Sundays: 'Arise, O Lord my God, lift up Thine hand: forget not Thy poor forever.'
1 Corinthians 5:6-8; Galatians 3:13-14 - St. Paul celebrates the Passion of Christ and explains its role in the life of Gentile Christians.
The Alleluia verses are from Psalm 67 (68), and are based on the Paschal verses: 'Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered.'
Matthew 27:62-66 - The Pharisees ask Pilate to set a watch at the tomb.
At the end of the service, a final hymn is sung as the faithful come to venerate the Epitaphios.[citation needed]
Good Friday at San Giovannino church inAlessandria, Italy
In Latin, the name used by the Catholic Church until 1955 wasFeria sexta in Parasceve ("Friday of Preparation [for the Sabbath]"). In the 1955 reform of Holy Week, it was renamedFeria sexta in Passione et Morte Domini ("Friday of the Passion and Death of the Lord"), and in the new rite introduced in 1970, shortened toFeria sexta in Passione Domini ("Friday of the Passion of the Lord").[57]
The Catholic Church regards Good Friday andHoly Saturday as the Paschal fast, in accordance with Article 110 ofSacrosanctum Concilium.[58] In theLatin Church, afast day is understood as having only one full meal and twocollations (a smaller repast, the two of which together do not equal the one full meal)[59][60] – although this may be observed less stringently on Holy Saturday than on Good Friday.[58]
TheRoman Rite has no celebration ofMass between theMass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday) evening and theEaster Vigil unless a special exemption is granted for rare solemn or grave occasions by theVatican or thelocal bishop. The onlysacraments celebrated during this time areBaptism (for those in danger of death),Penance, andAnointing of the Sick.[61] While there is no celebration of the Eucharist, it is distributed to the faithful only in theCelebration of the Passion of the Lord, but can also be taken at any hour to the sick who are unable to attend this celebration.[62]
The Celebration of the Passion of the Lord takes place in the afternoon, ideally at three o'clock; however, for pastoral reasons (especially in countries where Good Friday is not a public holiday), it is permissible to celebrate the liturgy earlier,[63] even shortly after midday, or at a later hour.[64] The celebration consists of three parts: the liturgy of the word, the adoration of the cross, and the Holy communion.[64] The altar is bare, without cross, candlesticks andaltar cloths.[65] It is also customary to empty theholy waterfonts in preparation of the blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil.[66] Traditionally, no bells are rung on Good Friday or Holy Saturday until the Easter Vigil.[67]
Theliturgical colour of the vestments used is red.[68] Before 1970, vestments were black except for the Communion part of the rite when violet was used.[69] If a bishop orabbot celebrates, he wears a plainmitre(mitra simplex).[70] Before the reforms of the Holy Week liturgies in 1955, black was used throughout.
TheVespers of Good Friday are only prayed by those who could not attend the Celebration of the Passion of the Lord.[71]
The Liturgy of the Word consists of the clergy and assisting ministers entering in complete silence, without any singing. They then silently make a fullprostration. This signifies the abasement (the fall) of (earthly) humans.[73] It also symbolizes the grief and sorrow of the Church.[74] Then follows theCollect prayer, and the reading or chanting of Isaiah 52:13–53:12, Hebrews 4:14–16, Hebrews 5:7–9, and thePassion account from theGospel of John, traditionally divided between three deacons,[75] yet usually read by the celebrant and two other readers. In the older form of the Mass known as theTridentine Mass the readings for Good Friday are taken from Exodus 12:1-11 and the Gospel according to St. John (John 18:1-40); (John 19:1-42).
The Great Intercessions also known asorationes sollemnes immediately follows the Liturgy of the Word and consists of a series of prayers for the Church, the Pope, the clergy and laity of the Church, those preparing for baptism, the unity of Christians, the Jews, those who do not believe in Christ, those who do not believe in God, those in public office, and those in special need.[76] After each prayer intention, the deacon calls the faithful to kneel for a short period of private prayer; the celebrant then sums up the prayer intention with a Collect-style prayer. As part of the pre-1955 Holy Week Liturgy, the kneeling was omitted only for theprayer for the Jews.[77]
The Adoration of the Cross has acrucifix, not necessarily the one that is normally on or near the altar at other times of the year, solemnly unveiled and displayed to the congregation, and then venerated by them, individually if possible and usually by kissing the wood of the cross, while hymns and theImproperia ("Reproaches") with theTrisagion hymn are chanted.[78]
Holy Communion is bestowed according to a rite based on that of the final part of Mass, beginning with theLord's Prayer, but omitting the ceremony of "Breaking of the Bread" and its related acclamation, theAgnus Dei. TheEucharist, consecrated at the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper onHoly Thursday, is distributed at this service.[79] Before the Holy Week reforms ofPope Pius XII in 1955, only the priest received Communion in the framework of what was called theMass of the Presanctified, which included the usual Offertory prayers, with the placing of wine in the chalice, but which omitted theCanon of the Mass.[77] The priest and people then depart in silence, and the altar cloth is removed, leaving the altar bare except for the crucifix and two or four candlesticks.[80]
TheWay of the Cross, celebrated at theColosseum in Rome on Good FridayCanopy erected at the "Temple of Venus and Rome" during the "Way of the Cross" ceremony in Rome
In addition to the prescribedliturgical service, theStations of the Cross are often prayed either in the church or outside, and a prayer service may be held from midday to 3.00 pm, known as the Three Hours' Agony.[81] In countries such as Malta, Italy, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Spain, processions with statues representing the Passion of Christ are held.[82][83][84][85][86]
In Rome, since the papacy ofJohn Paul II, the heights of theTemple of Venus and Roma and their position opposite the main entrance to the Colosseum have been used to good effect as a public address platform. This may be seen in the photograph below where a red canopy has been erected to shelter the Pope as well as an illuminated cross, on the occasion of theWay of the Cross ceremony. The Pope, either personally or through a representative, leads the faithful through meditations on the stations of the cross while a cross is carried from there to the Colosseum.[87]
In the Roman Catholic Church, plenaryindulgence is obtained if the faithful venerates the cross withpiety in the solemn Celebration of the Passion of the Lord on Good Friday.[88]
Thechancel of this Lutheran church is adorned with blackparaments on Good Friday, the liturgical colour associated with Good Friday in the Lutheran Churches.
InLutheran tradition from the 16th to the 20th century, Good Friday was the most important religious holiday, and abstention from all worldly works was expected. During that time, Lutheranism had no restrictions on the celebration of the Eucharist on Good Friday; on the contrary, it was a prime day on which to receive the Eucharist, and services were often accentuated by special music such as theSt Matthew Passion byJohann Sebastian Bach.[91]
Good Friday service in a Lutheran church inHanover, Germany, 2014
More recently, Lutheran liturgical practice has recaptured Good Friday as part of the larger sweep of the great Three Days: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Vigil of Easter. The three days remain one liturgy which celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus. As part of the liturgy of the three days, Lutherans generally fast from the Eucharist on Good Friday. Rather, it is celebrated in remembrance of the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday and at theVigil of Easter. One practice among Lutheran churches is to celebrate atenebrae service on Good Friday, typically conducted in candlelight and consisting of a collection of passion accounts from the four gospels. While being called "Tenebrae" it holds little resemblance to the now-suppressed Catholic monastic rite of the same name.[92]
The Good Friday liturgy appointed inEvangelical Lutheran Worship, the worship book of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, specifies a liturgy similar to the revised Roman Catholic liturgy. A rite for adoration of the crucified Christ includes the optional singing of theSolemn Reproaches in an updated and revised translation which eliminates some of theanti-Jewish overtones in previous versions. Many Lutheran churches have Good Friday services, such as theThree Hours' Agony centered on the remembrance of the "Seven Last Words," sayings of Jesus assembled from the four gospels, while others hold a liturgy that places an emphasis on the triumph of the cross, and a singular biblical account of the Passion narrative from the Gospel of John.[93]
Along with observing a general Lenten fast,[91] many Lutherans emphasize the importance of Good Friday as a day of fasting within the calendar.[4][5]A Handbook for the Discipline of Lent recommends the Lutheran guideline to "Fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday with only one simple meal during the day, usually without meat".[94]
In the Anglican Communion, theBlack Fast has been historically observed by devout believers.[95] The Black Fast was especially popular during the 19th century as it sought to imitate "the fasting of the ancient church."[95]
The1662Book of Common Prayer did not specify a particular rite to be observed on Good Friday but local custom came to mandate an assortment of services, including the Seven Last Words from the Cross and a three-hour service consisting of Matins, Ante-communion (using theReserved Sacrament inhigh church parishes) andEvensong. In recent times,[when?] revised editions of the Prayer Book andCommon Worship have re-introduced pre-Reformation forms of observance of Good Friday corresponding to those in today's Roman Catholic Church, with special nods to the rites that had been observed in the Church of England prior to theHenrican, Edwardian and Elizabethan reforms, including Creeping to the Cross.[96]
A United Methodist ministerprostrates at the start of the Good Friday liturgy at Holy Family Church, in accordance with the rubrics in theBook of Worship. Theprocessional cross is veiled in black, the liturgical colour associated with Good Friday in Methodist Churches.Altar and cross veiled in a Methodist church on Maundy Thursday in preparation for Good Friday
ManyMethodist denominations commemorate Good Friday with fasting,[3][97] as well as aservice of worship based on the Seven Last Words from the Cross; this liturgy is known as theThree Hours Devotion as it starts at noon and concludes at 3 pm, the latter being the time that Jesus died on the cross.[98][99]
On Maundy Thursday, the altar and the crossare usually veiled in black for Good Friday, as black is the liturgical colour for Good Friday in the United Methodist Church. A wooden cross may sit in front of the bare chancel.[100]
In theReformed tradition, Good Friday is one of theevangelical feasts and is thus widely observed withchurch services, which feature the Solemn Reproaches in the pattern ofPsalm 78, towards the end of the liturgy.[101]
Good Friday service in a Catholic church, IrelandGood Friday procession inSan Lorenzo Maggiore, Italy
In many countries and territories with a strong Christian tradition such as Australia, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, the countries of the Caribbean, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand,[103][104][105] Peru, the Philippines, Portugal, the Scandinavian countries, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela, the day is observed as apublic or federal holiday. In the United States, 12 states observe Good Friday as state holiday: Connecticut, Texas, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina and North Dakota. One associated custom is strict adherence to theBlack Fast, where believers fast from food and liquids during the day and after sunset, avegetarian meal with water is consumed.[106][107][108] St.Ambrose, St.Chrysostom and St.Basil attest to the practice.[109]
The processions of the day, hymns "Crux fidelis" byKing John of Portugal, andEberlin's "Tenebrae factae sunt", followed by "Vexilla Regis" is sung, translated from Latin asthe standards of the King advance, and then follows a ceremony that is not a real Mass, it is called the "Mass of the Pre-Sanctified.". This custom is respected also by forgoing the Mass, this is to take heed to the solemnity of the Sacrifice of Calvary. This is where the host of the prior day is placed at the altar, incensed, elevated so "that it may be seen by the people" and consumed. Germany and some other countries have laws prohibiting certain acts, such as dancing and horse racing, that are seen as profaning the solemn nature of the day.[9][10]
Good Friday is a holiday under state and territory laws in all states and territories in Australia.[110] Generally speaking, shops in all Australian states (but not in the two territories of theNorthern Territory and theAustralian Capital Territory) are required to remain closed for the duration of Good Friday, although there are certain shops which are permitted to open and other shops can apply for exemptions. All schools and universities close on Good Friday in Australia, and Good Friday falls within the school holidays in most years in all states and territories except the Northern Territory, although many states now commence their school holidays in early April regardless of Easter. In 2024, for example, when Good Friday fell on 29 March, onlyQueensland,Victoria andWestern Australia had school holidays which coincided with Good Friday.[111] The vast majority of businesses are closed on Good Friday, although many recreational businesses, such as theSydney Royal Easter Show, open on Good Friday as among non-religious families Good Friday is a popular day to indulge in such activities.
In Canada, Good Friday is afederal statutory holiday. In the province of Quebec "employers can choose to give the day off either on Good Friday or Easter Monday."[112]
In an online article posted onCatholic News Agency by Alejandro Bermúdez on 31 March 2012,Cuban PresidentRaúl Castro, with theCommunist Party and his advisers, decreed that Good Friday that year would be a holiday. This was Castro's response to a request made personally to him byPope Benedict XVI during the latter's Apostolic Visitation to the island andLeón,Mexico that month. The move followed the pattern of small advances in Cuba's relations with the Vatican, mirroring Pope John Paul II's success in gettingFidel Castro to declareChristmas Day a holiday.[113] Both Good Friday and Christmas are nowannual holidays in Cuba.
InHong Kong, Good Friday was designated a public holiday in the Holidays Ordinance, 1875.[114] Good Friday continues to be a holiday after thetransfer of sovereignty from the UK to China in 1997.[115] Government offices, banks, post offices and most offices are closed on Good Friday.
In theRepublic of Ireland, Good Friday is not an official public holiday, but most non-retail businesses close for the day. Up until 2018 it was illegal to sell alcoholic beverages on Good Friday, with some exceptions, so pubs and off-licences generally closed.[116] Critics of the ban included the catering and tourism sector, but surveys showed that the general public were divided on the issue.[117][118] InNorthern Ireland, a similar ban operates until 5 pm on Good Friday.[119]
Although Malaysia is aMuslim majority country, Good Friday is declared as a public holiday in the states ofSabah andSarawak inEast Malaysia as there is a significant Christian indigenous population in both states.[120]
In New Zealand, Good Friday is a legal holiday[121] and is a day of mandatory school closure for all New Zealand state and integrated schools.[122] Good Friday is also a restricted trading day in New Zealand, which means that unexempted shops are not permitted to open on this day.[123]
In the predominantlyRoman CatholicPhilippines, the day is commemorated with street processions, theWay of the Cross, the chanting of thePasyón,Siete Palabras or the Seven Last Words of Jesus on the Cross, and performances of theSenákulo orPassion play. Some devotees engage in self-flagellation and even have themselvescrucified as expressions of penance despite health risks and strong disapproval from the Church.[124]
Church bells are not rung and Masses are not celebrated, while television features movies, documentaries and other shows focused on the religious event and other topics related to the Catholic faith, broadcasting mostly religious content. Malls and shops are generally closed, as are restaurants as it is the second of three public holidays within the week.[citation needed]
After three o'clock in the afternoon (the time at which Jesus is traditionally believed to have died), the faithful venerate the cross in the local church and follow the procession of the Burial of Jesus.[citation needed]
In Polish churches, a tableau of Christ's Tomb is unveiled in the sanctuary. Many of the faithful spend long hours into the night grieving at the Tomb, where it is customary to kiss the wounds on the Lord's body. A life-size figure of Jesus lying in his tomb is widely visited by the faithful, especially on Holy Saturday. The tableaux may include flowers, candles, figures of angels standing watch, and the three crosses atop Mt Calvary, and much more. Each parish strives to come up with the most artistically and religiously evocative arrangement in which the Blessed Sacrament, draped in a filmy veil, is prominently displayed.[citation needed]
Hot cross buns are traditionally toasted and eaten on Good Friday in Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.[129]
In theUK, Good Friday was historically a common law holiday and is recognised as an official public holiday[130] (also known as aBank Holiday). All state schools are closed and most businesses treat it as a holiday for staff; however, many retail stores now remain open.Government services in Northern Ireland operate as normal on Good Friday, substitutingEaster Tuesday for the holiday.
There has traditionally been no horse racing on Good Friday in the UK. However, in 2008, betting shops and stores opened for the first time on this day[131] and in 2014 Lingfield Park and Musselburgh staged the UK's first Good Friday race meetings.[132][133] TheBBC has for many years introduced its 7 am News broadcast onRadio 4 on Good Friday with a verse fromIsaac Watts' hymn "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross".
In theUnited States, Good Friday is not a government holiday at the federal level, because it is a secular country.[135] The postal service operates, and banks regulated by the federal government do not close for Good Friday.[136]
The stock markets have chosen to be closed on Good Friday,[153][154] but the foreign exchange and bond trading markets open for a partial business day.[155][156] Most retail stores remain open, while some of them may close early. Because of the timing ofspring break, some public schools and universities are often closed on Good Friday.
In some governmental contexts Good Friday has been referred to by a generic name such as "spring holiday".[157][158][159] In 1999, in the case ofBridenbaugh v. O'Bannon, an Indiana state employee sued the governor for giving state employees Good Friday as a day off. The US Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the plaintiff, stating that the government could give state employees a paid day off when that day is a religious holiday, including Good Friday, but only so long as the state can provide a valid secular purpose that coincides with the obvious religious purpose of the holiday.[160]
Dates for Good Friday 2018–2032 In Gregorian dates
Year
Western
Eastern
2018
March 30
April 6
2019
April 19
April 26
2020
April 10
April 17
2021
April 2
April 30
2022
April 15
April 22
2023
April 7
April 14
2024
March 29
May 3
2025
April 18
2026
April 3
April 10
2027
March 26
April 30
2028
April 14
2029
March 30
April 6
2030
April 19
April 26
2031
April 11
2032
March 26
April 30
Good Friday is the Friday before Easter, which is calculated differently inEastern Christianity andWestern Christianity (seeComputus for details). Easter falls on the first Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon, the full moon on or after 21 March, taken to be the date of the vernalequinox. The Western calculation uses theGregorian calendar, while the Eastern calculation uses theJulian calendar, whose 21 March now corresponds to the Gregorian calendar's 3 April. The calculations for identifying the date of the full moon also differ.[citation needed]
In Eastern Christianity, Easter can fall between 22 March and 25 April on Julian Calendar (thus between 4 April and 8 May in terms of the Gregorian calendar, during the period 1900 and 2099), so Good Friday can fall between 20 March and 23 April, inclusive (or between 2 April and 6 May in terms of the Gregorian calendar).[citation needed]
Good Friday and other named days and day ranges around Lent and Easter in Western Christianity, with the fasting days of Lent numbered
Good Friday assumes a particular importance in the plot ofRichard Wagner's music dramaParsifal, which contains an orchestral interlude known as the "Good Friday Music".[161]
SomeBaptist congregations,[162] thePhiladelphia Church of God,[163] and somenon-denominational churches oppose the observance of Good Friday, regarding it as a so-called "papist" tradition, and instead observe theCrucifixion of Jesus on Wednesday to coincide with the Jewish sacrifice of the Passover Lamb (which some/many Christians believe is an Old Testament pointer to Jesus Christ). A Wednesday Crucifixion of Jesus allows for him to be in the tomb ("heart of the earth") for three days and three nights as he told the Pharisees he would be (Matthew 12:40), rather than two nights and a day (byinclusive counting, as was the norm at that time) if he had died on a Friday.[164][165]
^Gilman, Daniel Coit; Peck, Harry Thurston; Colby, Frank Moore (1903).The New International Encyclopaedia. Dodd, Mead and Company. p. 77.Good Friday is also known as Black Friday in the Western Church, because on that day clerical vestments and altar draperies are black.
^abRipley, George; Dana, Charles Anderson (1883).The American Cyclopaedia: A Popular Dictionary for General Knowledge. D. Appleton and Company. p. 101.The Protestant Episcopal, Lutheran, and Reformed churches, as well as many Methodists, observe the day by fasting and special services.
^abPfatteicher, Philip H. (1990).Commentary on the Lutheran Book of Worship: Lutheran Liturgy in Its Ecumenical Context. Augsburg Fortress Publishers. pp. 223–244, 260.ISBN978-0800603922.The Good Friday fast became the principal fast in the calendar, and even after the Reformation in Germany many Lutherans who observed no other fast scrupulously kept Good Friday with strict fasting.
^abJacobs, Henry Eyster; Haas, John Augustus William (1899).The Lutheran Cyclopedia. Scribner. p. 110.By many Lutherans Good Friday is observed as a strict fast. The lessons on Ash Wednesday emphasize the proper idea of the fast. The Sundays in Lent receive their names from the first words of their Introits in the Latin service, Invocavit, Reminiscere, Oculi, Lcetare, Judica.
^Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Volume 36, Issue 214. Harper & Brothers. 1868. p. 521.In England Good-Friday and Christmas are the only close holidays of the year when the shops are all closed and the churches opened.
^abPetre, Jonathan (21 March 2008)."Good Friday gambling anger churches".The Telegraph.Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved5 April 2018.Bookmakers estimate that thousands of shops will be operating, even though Good Friday is one of three days in the year when no horse racing takes place.
^abStevens, Laura (29 March 2013)."In Germany, Some Want to Boogie Every Day of the Year".The Wall Street Journal.Archived from the original on 11 July 2017. Retrieved13 March 2017.Every year on Good Friday, Germany becomes a little like the fictional town in the movie 'Footloose' – dancing is verboten. The decades-old 'Tanzverbot,' or dance ban, applies to all clubs, discos and other forms of organized dancing in all German states.
^"Holy Saturday".Serbian Orthodox Church. Retrieved29 March 2024.
^abBulgakov, Sergei V. (1900). "Great Friday".Handbook for Church Servers(PDF) (2nd ed.). Kharkov: Tr. Archpriest Eugene D. Tarris. p. 543. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved6 April 2015.
^Archimandrite Kallistos (Ware) and Mother Mary (2002). "Service of the Twelve Gospels".The Lenten Triodion. South Cannan, PA: St. Tikhon's Seminary Press. p. 587.
^"Fast & Abstinence".United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved14 April 2017.
^"Fasting and Abstinence"(PDF).Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. 24 January 1985.Archived(PDF) from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved14 April 2017.
^The General Instruction on the Liturgy of the Hours, No. 209
^Robert Barron."Tre Ore - The Three Hours' Agony".Word on Fire.Archived from the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved18 April 2019.'The Three Hours' Agony' or Tre Ore is a liturgical service held on Good Friday from noon until 3 o'clock to commemorate the Passion of Christ. Specifically, it refers to the three hours that Jesus hung on the Cross and includes a series of homilies on the seven last words spoken by Christ.
^Roman Missal, "Good Friday", Celebration of the Passion of the Lord, n. 5.
^Circular Letter Concerning the Preparation and Celebration of the Easter Feasts,V. Good FridayArchived 2 April 2015 at theWayback Machine, 16 January 1988, Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship.
^Congregation of Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments,Paschale Solemnitatis, III, n. 66 (cf. n. 33)
^"Saint Faustina". Archived from the original on 28 April 2019. Retrieved28 April 2019.
^abGassmann, Günther; Oldenburg, Mark W. (2011).Historical Dictionary of Lutheranism. Scarecrow Press. p. 229.ISBN978-0810874824.In many Lutheran churches, the Sundays during the Lenten season are called by the first word of their respective Latin Introitus (with the exception of Palm/Passion Sunday): Invocavit, Reminiscere, Oculi, Laetare, and Judica. Many Lutheran church orders of the 16th century retained the observation of the Lenten fast, and Lutherans have observed this season with a serene, earnest attitude. Special days of eucharistic communion were set aside on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
^Bays, Daniel H; Wacker, Grant (2010).The Foreign Missionary Enterprise at Home: Explorations in North American Cultural History. University of Alabama Press. p. 277.ISBN978-0817356408.
^The United Methodist Book of Worship: Regular Edition Black. United Methodist Publishing House. 2016. p. 365.ISBN978-1426735004.
^The United Methodist Book of Worship: Regular Edition Black. United Methodist Publishing House. 2016. p. 363.ISBN978-1426735004....a plain wooden cross may now be brought into the church and placed in the sight of the people. ... During Silent Meditation and The Reproaches, persons may be invited to come forward informally to kneel briefly before the cross or touch it.
^Cléir, Síle de (2017).Popular Catholicism in 20th-Century Ireland: Locality, Identity and Culture. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 101.ISBN978-1350020603.Catherine Bell outlines the details of fasting and abstinence in a historical context, stating that the Advent fast was usually less severe than that carried out in Lent, which originally involved just one meal a day, not to be eaten until after sunset.
^Butler, Alban (1839).The Moveable Feasts, Fasts, and Other Annual Observances of the Catholic Church.Dublin: James Duffy. pp. 144–146.The primitive Christians in Lent broke their fast only after sunset, and then usually only with herbs, roots, and bread. At least all were obliged to abstain not only from flesh meat, but also from fish, and whatever had life; also whatever is derived from flesh, as eggs, milk, cheese, butter, according to the ancient canon. Likewise from wine, which in the primitive ages was no less forbidden on all fasting days than the use of flesh meat itself ... Some mitigations were introduced in part of abstinence in the sixth century ... Fish was in the same age allowed, but not of the dearer and more dainty kinds.
^Butler, Alban (1774).The Moveable Feasts, Fasts, and Other Annual Observances of the Catholic Church. C. Kiernan. p. 257.It is undoubted, that anciently to drink on fasting days was no less forbid than to eat, only in the refection after sunset.
^"The Black Fast". Catholic Encyclopedia.Archived from the original on 17 November 2021. Retrieved13 February 2019.
^"American holidays".USAGov. U.S. General Services Administration. 6 December 2023. Retrieved29 May 2024.Many government offices and some private businesses close on annual federal holidays.If the holiday falls during the weekend, the government may observe it on a different day. [emphasis added]
^Government of Connecticut."Legal State Holidays".Ct.gov - Connecticut's Official State Website. CT.gov.Archived from the original on 3 October 2021. Retrieved30 March 2018.
^In addition to holidays where offices are closed, Texas also has "partial staffing holidays" (where offices are required to be open for public business, but where employees may take it off as a holiday) and "optional holidays" (where an employee may take off in lieu of taking off on a partial staffing holiday; Good Friday is an optional holiday).
.jpg)
_Johannespassion%2c_William-Byrd-Ensemble%2c_Apostelchor%2c_Andreas_Schmidt-Adolf%2c_Erwin_Sch%25C3%25BCtterle.jpg)
.jpg)
