Good Friday (Good Friday) 2012

Friday is the day that Jesus Christ was crucified. therefore Good Friday is dedicated to the memories of the trial of Jesus Christ, his crucifixion and the death of the cross on Calvary, the removal of His body from the cross and burial. The divine service on Good Friday includes a three-time reading of the Gospel narrative about these events.

In the morning consistently read Twelve Gospels - twelve evangelical passages, which in chronological order narrate about the events of Friday. On the Great (Royal) Clock separately read the narratives of each of their four evangelists (Matthew, John, Luke and Mark). And on great vespers about the events of this day tells one long composite gospel.

Good Friday is an exceptional day, and its exclusiveness (as well as the exclusivity of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary) is emphasized by the fact that on this day do not perform the liturgy. However, if Good Friday coincides with the Annunciation, the liturgy of John Chrysostom serves. At the vespers the special canon "About the Crucifixion of the Lord" is sung and the Shroud is taken out.

The Shroud is a plaque full of the Lord Jesus Christ lying in a tomb. After removal, the Shroud is installed ona special elevation in the center of the temple. It is customary to smell it and decorate with flowers in memory of how the myrrh-bearers anointed the body of the buried Christ.

Good Friday is a special day in which according to the statute, one must abstain from eating food until the shroud is taken out, and after that one can only eat bread and drink only water. All preparations for Easter should be finished on Pure Thursday, so that on Good Friday nothing distracted from prayers and services.

On Good Friday it is not accepted to sing, walk and have fun - it is believed that a man having fun in the GreatFriday, he'll cry all year. However, despite the fact that on that day the worship is imbued with sorrow, it is already preparing the believers for the forthcoming holiday of the Resurrection of Christ.

In the popular consciousness, Good Friday is associated with a number of signs and superstitions. It is considered, for example, that baked on this daybread will never become moldy and heal from all diseases. The sailors considered bread, baked on Good Friday, a talisman against shipwrecks. And the hot cross bun, baked on this day, will protect the house from fires until next Good Friday.

On Good Friday it is very undesirable to work. So, according to the note, you can not stick into the groundiron items, for example, shovels and rakes: it's a disaster. Therefore, plants planted on this day will die. Only parsley sown on Good Friday will give a double crop. Washed clothes and hung out for drying on Friday, clothes will never become clean: the underwear will show bloody stains.

After the Friday service, it is customary to bring into the house twelve burning candles with which they stood in the church. Candles need to be put in the house and let them burn to the finish. It is believed that this will bring happiness and prosperity to the house for the next twelve months.

Of course, many signs came from paganism, and not from Christianity, and some of them even contradict Christian traditions. But to believe in signs or not is a personal choice of each person. Good Friday is another reason to pause in our hard life and to think: are we living like this?