The real meaning of Good Friday: why this day is considered the hardest of the year
Good Friday, or Good Friday, is the penultimate day of Lent. For the Orthodox, it is considered the most tragic and most significant during Holy Week. During this period, Christians remember the crucifixion and death of Jesus. In 2026, Good Friday falls on April 10, on the eve of Easter. For more information about the history of the holiday, its spiritual significance and traditions, see the Izvestia article.
The Story of Good Friday
On this day, Orthodox Christians remember the sufferings of the Son of God for the sake of humanity, which he endured on Friday. According to all four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—after being arrested as a result of Judas' betrayal, Jesus was first taken to Annas, the high priest, and then to Caiaphas, where he was humiliated and ridiculed. Christ was accused of blasphemy, after which he was taken to the Roman procurator Pontius Pilate.
He found no grounds to accuse Jesus and wanted to release him, offering to release a prisoner who had been sentenced to death in honor of the celebration of Passover (the Jewish Passover). However, the Jews chose to release the criminal Barabbas rather than Christ.
Then Pontius ordered the Savior to be beaten first, and then led out, dressed in purple, crowned with a crown of thorns, to the rock of Golgotha. After that, Pilate again saw "nothing worthy of death" in Jesus, but the Jews continued to say, "He must die because He made Himself the Son of God." During these words, the Lord himself was silent, and people shouted to Pontius Pilate: "Crucify Him, crucify Him!"
Pilate nevertheless had Jesus crucified, while acknowledging his innocence. Christ was nailed to the cross on Golgotha and then executed. The soldiers mocked and mocked the Savior while he was hanging on the cross. They were talking: "You who destroy a temple and build it up in three days, save Yourself" or "You saved others, but you cannot save yourself."
It is believed that at the moment of Jesus' crucifixion, the sun went out for three hours at noon, and an earthquake occurred. Moreover, seeing the darkened sun and the earthquake, Longinus the centurion, who pierced Christ's ribs with a spear, was afraid and said: "Truly, He was the Son of God."
Before his death, the Lord spoke words that shook heaven and earth.: "It's done!" After that, he died. Later, the secret disciple of Christ, Joseph of Arimathea— took the body of God. They took him down from the cross, wrapped him in swaddling clothes with incense and put him in a tomb.
Good Friday as a special day of the church year appeared already in the middle of the second century. At that time, believers remembered the sufferings of Jesus and called Good Friday Easter. However, already in the third century, Easter began to be celebrated on Sunday, and Good Friday became the day of remembrance of the crucifixion of the Savior.
Later, in the fourth century, services began to be held in ancient Jerusalem on Good Friday. Many pilgrims came to the city, and on the night of the celebration, a religious procession was held. Orthodox Christians carried a large cross, icons, and performed divine services in places associated with Jesus.
The Spiritual Significance of Good Friday
The name of the event itself comes from the Old Russian word "passion", which means "suffering". In the liturgical language and the Church Slavonic text, "the passion of Christ" is not just physical pain, but suffering for love and voluntary sacrifice.
Good Friday is the most mournful day of the church year for Christians. Believers are called to deep repentance, reflection and sympathy in the sufferings of the Savior.
It is assumed that the responsibility for what happened to the Son of God lies not only with the Jews and Pontius Pilate, but also with the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who demanded the crucifixion of Christ. It is believed that after this, the whole life of a believer should be accompanied by love and a desire for spirituality as a sign of gratitude for Jesus' deed.
Church and folk traditions of Good Friday
According to church traditions, no Liturgy is celebrated during the holiday. This is done as a sign of the deepest mourning for the death of Christ.
However, in the morning in Orthodox churches it is customary to perform another divine service — the Royal Hours. That's what they were called only in Russia, because earlier they were attended by monarchs. In the church charter, these hours are called great.
During this service, hymns, prayers and excerpts from the Gospel are read, which speak about the sufferings of Jesus Christ. In addition, they also contain prophetic texts from the Old Testament, including the book of the prophet Isaiah, who was able to predict the sufferings of God five centuries before his coming.
During matins, the Twelve Gospels are read. They describe from beginning to end the path of suffering that Christ went through. Since, according to the church's rules, the day of worship begins in the evening, Good Friday Matins are celebrated on Maundy Thursday evening. During the reading of the Gospels, believers stand in the temple with lighted candles.
The evening service ends with the removal of the Shroud, a large cloth, that is, a piece of cloth on which the image of the Savior laid in the coffin is written or embroidered. He is taken out of the altar and installed in the center of the temple — on a platform decorated with flowers and anointed with incense as a sign of sorrow for the death of Christ. The Gospel is placed in the middle of the Shroud.
The canon "The Lament of the Virgin" is read over it, and at the end of the service, the faithful venerate the shrine, bowing to the ground in front of it as a sign of gratitude and sorrow. At this time, the stichera sounds — a special kind of church chant that emphasizes the spiritual depth of the moment.
Good Friday is also the strictest fast in the Orthodox tradition. It implies not only food restrictions, but also spiritual work on oneself.
According to tradition, Orthodox Christians on this day usually do not eat until the Shroud is removed (as a rule, this happens around 16:00), and if they have the strength and with the blessing of their confessor, until Easter itself.
After the end of Great Vespers, dry eating is allowed — eating only food of plant origin that has not undergone heat treatment. This is a light lean meal without butter, consisting of bread, water or raw food (vegetables, fruits, nuts, dried fruits). In addition, drinking water in the morning is not prohibited, but it is about water. Other drinks are completely excluded.
Orthodox Christians are advised to spend Good Friday in silence, avoiding fuss and idleness. You should pay more attention to reading prayers, as well as visiting temples, worshipping the Shroud, reflecting on the sacrifice of Christ and the meaning of your own life. Christians were also advised to complete all preparatory work related to Easter by Friday.
What you can and can't do on Good Friday
On Good Friday, believers are advised to maintain spiritual concentration and avoid strong emotions, both negative and positive. You should spend this period in prayer and silence, show mercy by helping those in need, forgive offenses and refrain from judging.
On this day, Orthodox people are not advised to arrange noisy events, have fun, play weddings or perform a wedding ceremony. Household chores, including cleaning, are also considered undesirable, since the conduct of everyday life symbolizes worldly vanity, which can distract from inner concentration.
Exceptions are allowed only for basic hygiene procedures, as well as for the care of patients and children. At the same time, any cosmetic procedures — haircuts, manicures, massages, and others — are considered inappropriate, since they are associated with taking care of appearance, whereas this day involves an appeal to an inner, spiritual state. Relaxation is possible only in cases of extreme necessity, unrelated to aesthetics.
In addition, on Good Friday it is not recommended to drink alcohol, even in small quantities, visit cemeteries and engage in heavy, especially physical, labor.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
