Good Friday
What is Good Friday? Good Friday is one of the Christian religious festivals. Good Friday is celebrated on Friday that comes just before the Easter Sunday. Christians see Good Friday as the day on which Jesus Christ was crucified. Good Friday is also known as ‘Holy Friday?, or ‘Great Friday?.
When is Good Friday celebrated? Good Friday falls generally between 20th March and 23rd April which varies every year.
What is its significance? There is a significant message behind the celebration of the pain and suffering of the death of the Jesus Christ. It gives the message that the statement ‘an eye for an eye? does not hold good every time. The only way to conquer the violence is not by hatred. Violence can be overcome through non-violence, bad through good, hatred by love.
All the Christians believe that Jesus Christ came to Earth only to take away people’s sins. Good Friday becomes a day of mourning and every ritual is celebrated with the feel of sorrow.
How is it celebrated? On the day of Good Friday, many Christian people spend the day in fasting, doing prayer and meditation for the suffering of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
There are many traditions followed by the people. Many Churches keep a piece of wood in the shape of a cross like the cross on which Jesus died. People use to come to the churches to pray before that cross and lastly kiss it.
On the day of Good Friday, the Church bells do not produce any sound. People on this day go through the paintings, which depicts the life on the Jesus Christ. It is also observed that in some churches, devotees wear black clothes on the Good Friday that depicts the image of the dead Jesus.
Why is Good Friday so called? There was a lot of debate for the origin of the name Good Friday. Some believe that the word Good is used to indicate Holiness and that’s why it is also called Holy Friday. Others also believe that Good is used only to replace the word ‘God? and that’s why it is also termed as ‘God’s Friday?. But the Oxford English Dictionary goes in the favour of the Holy Friday where Good is used to indicate the day as Holy.
