Good friday It is a day of great importance for Christianity, as it is considered, in Christian tradition, the day on which Jesus Christ was crucified and died. The Friday precedes Easter Sunday by two days, as well as being part of Holy Week, which pays homage to the last days of Jesus and his resurrection.
This day is seen as a day of great devotion to Jesus, celebrating his sacrifice, but also of mourning and respect for his crucifixion. In Catholic tradition, there are no masses on that day, but a ceremony called the Celebration of the Passion of Christ is performed. Many people decide to abstain from red meat consumption.
Read too: Corpus Christi — Catholic celebration in honor of the Last Supper of Christ
Topics of this article
- 1 - Summary about Good Friday
- 2 - What does Good Friday mean?
- 3 - What do you do on Good Friday?
- 4 - Is Good Friday a holiday?
- 5 - Good Friday 2023
Summary on Good Friday
Good Friday is part of the Easter celebration.
On that day, the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ is remembered.
Good Friday is part of Holy Week, taking place two days before Easter Sunday.
On that day, Catholic tradition guides the faithful to give up meat consumption, especially red.
There are no masses on Good Friday, but a ceremony called the Celebration of the Passion of Christ.
What does Good Friday mean?
Good Friday is a date that is present in the liturgical calendar of Christianity, being celebrated especially by Catholics. This date is part of Holy Week and is known as the day on which Jesus would have been crucified. That day is also known as Passion Friday, within Christian belief.
This date precedes Easter Sunday, which, according to Christian tradition, it's the day that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. that day too é part of the Paschal Triduum, a set of three days leading up to Easter and which are a moment of great devotion, as they recall the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Do not stop now... There's more after the publicity ;)
The Pascal Triduum is formed by Holy Thursday, Holy Friday and Hallelujah Saturday. Each of these days is marked by religious celebrations, each with its own specific meaning. In the case of Good Friday, it's usualIt is cover the images of all saints, for the focus should be on worshiping God.
Good Friday is marked by fasting meat, notably red meat and chicken, as part of a penance that must be performed by the faithful. It is understood that abstaining from meat on that day is a demonstration of the faithful's respect for Jesus' shedding of blood.
See too:Lent—How Christians Prepare for the Celebration of Easter
What do you do on Good Friday?
Among the most common practices of Good Friday are:
Reenactments of the Crucifixion of Jesus: plays known as Passion of Christ.
Abstain from meat: especially the red one and the chicken one. Many faithful replace the consumption of these types of meat with fish.
In the Catholic Church, there is also a ceremony known as the Celebration of the Passion of Christ, which traditionally takes place at 3 pm. This ceremony is marked by the Liturgy of the Word, Adoration of the Cross and Communion of the Eucharist. this ceremony is not considered a missThe — this is the only day in the year on which masses are not held.
Many locals also have burial processions., in which the wake of Jesus Christ is staged. The predominant colors in the Catholic liturgy on that day are red and black. Furthermore, the faithful are instructed to dedicate the day to prayer and meditation nthe biblical text.
Know more: What are the symbols of Easter?
Is Good Friday a holiday?
According to Brazilian legislation, pursuant to Law No. 10,607, of December 16, 2002, there are seven national holidays, and Good Friday is not considered one of them. That day, however, is understood as a religious holiday, therefore it can be considered a holiday if there is a state or municipal law that establishes that day as such. This criterion was established in Law No. 9,093, of September 12, 1995.
However, every year, the Brazilian government issues an ordinance that determines, for public bodies, a balance sheet that determines which dates will be national holidays and which will be optional points. In the case of Good Friday for the year 2023, for example, the day was established as a national holiday.
Good Friday 2023
Good Friday is a date linked to Easter, so it has a mobile date, and every year this religious celebration takes place on a specific day. Once Easter date set, we can know when the FridayFthreshing floor Santa will happen. Defining the date of Easter, however, is important for determining a number of other important dates, such as the day on which Holy Week begins, Shrove Tuesday, the fourth-Fash threshing floor and, consequently, the beginning and end of Lent.
The criterion that establishes the date of Easter was instituted in the fourth century, during the Council of Nicaea. The criterion adopted determined that the date of Easter will be established on the first Sunday that happens after the first A full moon that occurs after the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere or the autumnal equinox in the Southern Hemisphere.
In the case of 2023, Passover was designated to take place on April 9th. Therefore, the Friday-Fthreshing floor will happen two days earlier, on April 7. With this, Holy Week begins on April 2, a day known as Palm Sunday.
image credits
[1] Nelson Antoine / Shutterstock
By Daniel Neves Silva
History teacher
Click on this Brasil Escola link and access information about Corpus Christi. See in this text the meaning of this important commemorative date for the calendar of the Catholic Church and check out a brief summary of the story behind the creation of Corpus Christi.
After all, what is the real day of Easter? Do you know why this date changes so much? Click and see the criteria used to define the day of this celebration.
Learn about the main features of the history of Easter and understand why this is a date of paramount importance for Christianity.
Click on the link and access this text to learn more about Ash Wednesday, the day that marks the beginning of Lent. See curiosities about that day.
Click on the link and access this text to learn about the origin of the tradition of abstaining from red meat during Good Friday. Know what the tradition stands for.
Click on the link and learn more about Christian Easter, an important celebration of Christianity that recalls the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Click on the link to learn more about Lent, a Christian tradition. Understand what it represents and when it emerged.
Discover the meaning of the Easter symbols and the importance they have for this day when the Resurrection of Christ is celebrated.
