What can you do on Good Friday. Friday before Easter: what you can and cannot do on this day

Better to give up household chores

The most difficult day of Holy Week, clergymen call Good Friday - this is the day when Christ was crucified on the cross. Good Friday 2018 falls on April 6th. This is the most mournful day of the year, and even if before that the Orthodox for some reason did not observe Great Lent and did not attend services, it is imperative to go to church on Friday, the priests advise. There are also folk signs associated with Good Friday.

Although Good Friday is the penultimate day of Great Lent, it is considered the most stringent. All thoughts of a believer should be directed to the torment of Jesus, crucified on the cross, which he himself carried to Golgotha. On the same day, the body of the Savior was removed from the cross and placed in a coffin - this is what the church service at night is dedicated to.

Vice-rector for social and missionary work of the Orthodox St. Tikhon State University, Father Philip Ilyashenko, says:

Good Friday is considered the harshest and scariest day of the year. The service of the twelve Gospels, the Passion of Christ, is performed late on the night from Thursday to Friday, and then early in the morning - the service of Great Heel. Again and again every year we experience the suffering of Christ in his last days and hours, from arrest and condemnation to beating and crucifixion, and then death and burial.

Therefore, Friday begins late Thursday night: in the rhythm of a modern metropolis, few people can come to early service. During Friday we bring out the shroud - this is a service dedicated to being taken down from the cross, anointing and preparing for burial.

We serve a funeral service on the night of Friday to Saturday - this is the morning Blessed Saturday, a procession in the dark, with a rarefied bell ringing, without the glow of candles. This is a passage dedicated to the burial of the body of Jesus - we carry the shroud around the temple. On this day, the Savior suffers, dies painfully, the sun hid its face, and the dead rose up and returned to the city. On such a day, no fun, entertainment, any extraneous business is acceptable. This is a day of strict fasting - some even refuse food: how can you be full when Christ is crucified and dies?

- It turns out that you need to spend all the time in the temple?

On Friday, when the Savior is crucified and dies, and on the night from Friday to Saturday, when his body is placed in the tomb, the services are so tight that the believer will be busy only with them. If time permits, it is better to visit all of them, and postpone household chores for the future or complete earlier. The night service is long, tiring, you need to prepare for the Most Blessed Saturday, on which Christ fell asleep. You should not get carried away with household chores these days. On Friday we serve evening services - taking out the shroud, removing the shroud - it is worth devoting time to prayers.

- Someone is sure that even if Great Lent was not observed, then you can start fasting on Holy Week, and this will be enough for an Orthodox person.

Yes, many believe that if for some reason they missed Great Lent, even through negligence, then getting down to business on Holy Week is already good. This is the opinion of St. John Chrysostom, and since his catechism for Easter is considered fundamental, there is no reason to doubt. If anyone has labored fasting from the first hour, let him rejoice, and those who were late for the beginning, and even those who came only at the last hour, let him not hesitate at all and join. And even those who just wanted to fast, also let them join - God sees everything: he gives to the first and has mercy on the last ...

Meanwhile, many Russians have simple, “everyday” questions - what cannot be done on Good Friday?

The priests advise - for example, to spend less time on the Internet, browsing social networks, not to have idle conversations. You also need to refrain from carnal pleasures.

On Good Friday, you cannot cook cakes, paint eggs, make cottage cheese Easter, clean up - all this is supposed to be done on Clean Thursday.

And in no case should you argue with colleagues and loved ones.

There are also some folk signs that sound strange for modern people, but nevertheless. It is believed, for example, that you cannot pierce the ground with iron objects - for example, dig with a shovel.

If you don't drink anything all day on Good Friday, then no drinks will harm you throughout the year.

If you bring home a candle from the church service that you held in your hands in the church, and light it again, walking through the rooms, then it will crackle next to the spoiled thing.

Good Friday is the most mournful day before Easter Sunday. This is a day of mourning and sorrow, because it was on this day that Jesus was crucified. On Good Friday, all the Savior Passions of the Lord are remembered. On this day, Jesus was betrayed by Judas, after which a procession of the cross to Golgotha ​​took place. There Christ was crucified on the cross and died in grievous torment.

In churches and cathedrals, bells do not ring on Good Fridays. Everyone should fast: both priests and the Orthodox people, and what you can eat on Good Friday - we will tell you in this article.

Good Friday Fasting - What Can You Eat?

Since Friday during Holy Week is a day of mourning, it is generally forbidden to eat from early morning until lunchtime (until about two o'clock in the afternoon). Only after the removal of the shroud (at about lunchtime), which symbolizes the removal of Jesus from the cross on which he was crucified, is the use of water and bread allowed.

According to the fast food calendar, you can eat raw vegetables and fruits on the Friday of Holy Week. But this is if it is completely a burden to use one water with bread. But whether it is possible to drink tea on Good Friday is an ambiguous question. Since tea is water with infusion and sugar, it is best to refrain from drinking it. It is best to drink freshly squeezed juice from fruits or vegetables. Their use is allowed on this day. Drinking herbal or black tea, but without sugar, is also quite acceptable.

When asked if it is possible to drink on Good Friday, the church replies with a categorical “no”. On this day, it is generally forbidden to celebrate or have fun. Otherwise, it threatens disastrous consequences for those who sinned on this day.

What can lay people eat on Good Friday?

Since you can only eat bread and water, and if it's hard, you can include raw vegetables and fruits in your Friday diet, you can prepare various salads. This somehow diversifies the Good Friday menu. The main thing is not to carry out work related to the land. You can't dig, bite, pull out weeds. In general, all agricultural work is prohibited on Good Friday.

Any other physical work is also prohibited. You can do intellectual work on this day. But the thoughts on Good Friday should be all about Jesus and how he suffered.

Easter preparatory work is not permitted on Good Friday. For this, it was when it was necessary to carry out housework for cleaning the house, washing and ironing. If you did not have time to paint the eggs and bake Easter cakes, then it would be better to postpone these chores until Saturday.

Things not to do on Good Friday:

In conclusion, I would like to note that the observance of all the canons on Good Friday is desirable, but not mandatory for everyone. This does not apply to children, old people and sick people. On this day, they are allowed to do everything as they are accustomed to. It is difficult to imagine a child who will eat only water and bread all day. The same applies to sick and old people. The main thing on this day is considered to be thoughts about God and his meaning in our hearts.

Photo from the site "Delovoy Slavyansk"

Friday before Easter Christians celebrate one of the most mournful days on the church calendar because it was at this time that the suffering and death of Jesus Christ are remembered.

Good Friday(this is the name of this day) involves the conduct of certain rituals in churches, here is performed shroud worship- a board with the image of the Savior. She is placed in the middle of the temple, surrounded by white flowers, in front of her is a censer, then the Gospel is read and chants are sung.

Long Good Friday begins with the morning Divine Service, when the Gospel is read before the Shroud. In the afternoon, a fee with the image of Christ is carried out, while the "Lament of the Mother of God" is read, and in the evening a funeral service is held. At this time in churches, all people stand with candles and listen to the "canon of Great Saturday." It should be said that worship takes place until late Saturday evening, and after the procession of the cross, the shroud is brought back to the temple. It reads the Sunday Gospel about the angels, the crucified Christ and the place of his burial.

Good Friday, like any other day of Holy Week, has many different prohibitions, as well as signs that must be directly observed in order for the family to have peace and quiet.

Good Friday: Dos and Don'ts

Absolutely all sincerely believing people absolutely do not eat anything just before taking out the shroud. And already directly returning from the church, the friendly family sits down at the dinner table to eat food.

• It is important to note that the Good Friday dinner is lean, even categorically fish is not worth eating on this day. Fasting is extremely strict on Good Friday. Foods that can be eaten on a given day are: vegetables, fruits, lean bread. All food should be eaten even without vegetable oil.

• In order to protect yourself from poisons, you don't need to drink anything throughout Good Friday.

• Any household chores should be postponed until another day, since it is on Good Friday that you cannot do anything.

• It is important to note that there is a special ban on sewing on Good Friday.

• Also, you cannot wash on Good Friday, even if you use a washing machine. There is a special belief that if you do wash something on Good Friday and hang it directly out to dry, it will in any case be covered with drops of blood.

• It is also absolutely not worth chopping wood on Good Friday, as this is a bad omen of a great day.

• You cannot sing, dance, walk, have fun, laugh, drink alcohol, quarrel and swear on Good Friday. It has always been said that a person who has fun on Good Friday will grieve, cry and suffer greatly throughout the next year.

• You cannot violate the integrity of the earth on Good Friday, because grief can happen. Anything planted on Good Friday will be lost.
• Those who follow the strictest rules of the Great Easter Fast do not even wash themselves on this day. Violation of these prohibitions is considered a great sin.

• You cannot stick iron objects into the ground on Good Friday, for example, shovels and rakes: this is bad news. Therefore, the plants planted on this day will die. Parsley sown on Good Friday alone will yield a double harvest.

Good Friday: Things to Do

• All preparations for the Easter holiday must be completed on Maundy Thursday, so that nothing distracts from prayers and services on Good Friday.

• The hostesses were only allowed to bake cakes and plant cabbage. On Good Friday, you can and even need to bake cakes. They say that Easter baked today will never go bad or mold. Easter cake baked on Holy Week can heal from any disease, protect from bad weather and fire.

• To get a strong amulet, you need to consecrate the ring today.

• It is popularly believed that parsley sown on Good Friday will yield a rich harvest, unlike other plants that cannot be planted on Good Friday.

Signs of Good Friday

• A loaf of bread baked on Good Friday will heal all diseases and will never grow moldy.

• If bees are transported on any day other than Good Friday, they will certainly die.

• If you are thirsty on Good Friday, then no amount of drinking will harm you for a whole year.

• If it is cloudy on this day, then the bread will be with weeds.

• If on Good Friday the sky is starry, then the wheat will be grainy.

• Rings consecrated on Good Friday protect the wearer from all diseases.

• Easter buns kept from one Good Friday to the next prevent whooping cough.

• The sign says that if you wean the baby from the breast on Good Friday, the baby will be strong, healthy and will live happily.

• On Good Friday, it is also customary to determine whether there are slate things in the house. They bring an unburned candle from the church, which was in their hands during the service, light it and go through the rooms. Where it crackles, there is a spoiled thing.

• In addition, after Friday services, it is customary to bring twelve burning candles into the house, with which they stood in the church. Candles need to be put in the house and allowed to burn out to the end - this will bring happiness and prosperity to the house for the next twelve months.

If, while making your house shine on Maundy Thursday, you did not have time to look into the kitchen and bake the pasta, you will have such an opportunity to present yourself on Saturday. This cannot be done on Good Friday.

What you can and cannot do on Good Friday, what signs and traditions on this day, and also much more read in the material.

On the last Friday before Easter, Orthodox believers around the world celebrate a mournful date - Great or Good Friday. This year the day falls on April 6th.

This is the most mournful day of the Christian year. It is always celebrated two days before the Bright Resurrection of the Lord or Easter. Jesus Christ on this day was martyred on the cross for the sins of men. Good Friday is considered a day of mourning and even the vestments of priests today should not be light.

The story of Good Friday revolves around the biblical events in which Judas betrayed Jesus Christ and the savior was accused of rebellion and incitement.

Despite the fact that the procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate, understood that this was a libel, he passed a cruel sentence, and Jesus himself carried his cross to the place of crucifixion. Together with him, two robbers were crucified on the crosses.

Believers did not yet know that the Savior would be resurrected, so the services on Good Friday are dedicated to the sufferings that Jesus went through in the last hours of his life on earth.

Dos and Don'ts on Good Friday

Absolutely all sincerely believing people absolutely do not eat anything just before taking out the shroud. And already directly returning from the church, the friendly family sits down at the dinner table to eat food.

• It is important to note that the Good Friday dinner is lean, even categorically fish is not worth eating on this day. Fasting is extremely strict on Good Friday. Foods that can be eaten on a given day are: vegetables, fruits, lean bread. All food should be eaten even without vegetable oil.

• In order to protect yourself from poisons, you don't need to drink anything throughout Good Friday.

• Any household chores should be postponed until another day, since it is on Good Friday that you cannot do anything.

• It is important to note that there is a special ban on sewing on Good Friday.

• Also, you cannot wash on Good Friday, even if you use a washing machine. There is a special belief that if you do wash something on Good Friday and hang it directly out to dry, it will in any case be covered with drops of blood.

• It is also absolutely not worth chopping wood on Good Friday, as this is a bad omen of a great day.

• You cannot sing, dance, walk, have fun, laugh, drink alcohol, quarrel and swear on Good Friday. It has always been said that a person who has fun on Good Friday will grieve, cry and suffer greatly throughout the next year.

• You cannot violate the integrity of the earth on Good Friday, because grief can happen. Anything planted on Good Friday will be lost.
• Those who follow the strictest rules of the Great Easter Fast do not even wash themselves on this day. Violation of these prohibitions is considered a great sin.

• You cannot stick iron objects into the ground on Good Friday, for example, shovels and rakes: this is bad news. Only parsley sown on Good Friday will give a double harvest.

Good Friday: Things to Do

• All preparations for the Easter holiday must be completed on Maundy Thursday, so that nothing distracts from prayers and services on Good Friday.

• The hostesses were only allowed to bake cakes and plant cabbage. On Good Friday, you can and even need to bake cakes. They say that Easter baked today will never go bad or mold. Easter cake baked on Holy Week can heal from any disease, protect from bad weather and fire.

• To get a strong amulet, you need to consecrate the ring today.

• It is popularly believed that parsley sown on Good Friday will yield a rich harvest, unlike other plants that cannot be planted on Good Friday.

What can you eat on this day?

On this day of sorrow, the strictest fast or even refusal of food is observed. It is forbidden to consume alcohol. With the appearance of the first star in the sky, you can eat some bread and drink water.

Good Friday should not be an ordinary day for Christians. At this time, it is better to think about your life and remember the suffering of the Savior. Every believer should think about what are the main things in his life.

Signs for Good Friday

It is believed that those who abstain from food on Good Friday for three years in a row will see their impending demise three days before their death.

According to another belief, for those who do not eat on Good Friday, God forgives all sins.

If, after the service on Good Friday, you bring a candle into your home and light it in the Red Corner, your family and friends will be healthy.

People believed that from the moment the body of Jesus Christ was placed in the tomb until the moment of his resurrection, the unclean power has a particularly strong power and feels impunity. She comes into the world and scares the righteous people. If a person sees something passionate on this day, he must say three times: "May God rise and waste away at him," which is believed to protect from evil forces.

Everything that happens on Good Friday must be associated with grief. What is Good Friday: what you can and cannot do - we will tell you about all this in our article.

Basic moments

Christians know that the day of the crucifixion of the son of God is the most mournful day of the Christian year. The Savior died for the people to atone for their sins. Today they remember the unjust crucifixion of God's son, the removal of his body and burial.

This day is very important for the ministers of the temple, who perform three services. From the very morning there is a service where the Gospel of the Passion of Christ is read, Vespers is held in the afternoon, and Matins of Great Saturday is held in the evening.

All Christians eat a very strict diet throughout the day. Church leaders know that you cannot eat anything today. It is allowed to eat bread and drink water only in the evening.
Try not to postpone the preparation of the cake until the last moment. It is advisable to complete all the preparations on Thursday, then buy up in the evening, as if to cleanse yourself of all the bad things. By Friday, nothing should be left to do so that nothing distracts from prayers and services.

A lot of things are forbidden to do on Friday. You must adhere to these rules if you truly believe in God. The first thing to remember is that in no case should you do chores around the house. You should have dealt with all the worries the day before.

Also, housewives must understand that it is impossible to wash. From time immemorial, there has been a legend that scarlet stains similar to blood can appear on clothes. Amateur gardeners should take into account that on this day it is forbidden to cut, dig, plant, and even more cultivate the land.

Note to beekeepers! On the day of the crucifixion of the son of God, bees cannot be transported, otherwise they may all perish.

Weddings are usually held on Fridays. But on this day, it is better to postpone all the entertainment and fun, this is considered a huge sin.

There are some dietary restrictions. You can't eat or drink anything since yesterday evening. Long-standing traditions and customs indicate that if you don't drink water, all liquid you drink throughout the year will benefit your health.

Now let's talk about what you can do in. This moment is important for Christians. Many people believe that nothing can be done on this day. But this is not the case! Although there is a ban on planting seeds in the garden, this does not apply to all plants. For example, you can plant parsley, you even need to. This herb is considered the talisman of fortunetellers. This is a good sign. If you plant parsley in your garden, then passion, love, mutual understanding and a rich harvest will reign in the family for a whole year.

Advice! Dry the leaves of the herb and add to the bag. This attribute will serve as an excellent protection against the negative effects of impure forces for a whole year. The same action is endowed with the ring, which will need to be consecrated in the temple. It will help protect you not only from various ailments, but also from the evil eye.

There is a popular belief for the treatment of whooping cough. You need to bake any baked goods and, most importantly, leave it until the next Great Sunday of Christ. Also, baked pastries should be given to low-income families. On this day, try to give alms to the poor.

Popular beliefs, how many are there?

There are many popular signs, and to believe in them or not, this is the business of every person. Below we provide a list of the most important beliefs.

1. It is strictly forbidden to have fun. It was believed that whoever laughs on a mournful day will cry for a whole year.
2. There is a belief that baked bread will heal from all diseases and will not grow moldy.
3. Gardeners must consider one very important point. You cannot loosen the earth with an iron tip, otherwise they will be in trouble.
4. Illuminated rings will bring health benefits and protect against various ailments.
5. If mom weaned the baby from breastfeeding, he will grow up healthy and strong.
6. If you want to ward off negativity, failure and poverty, then buy 12 church candles and take it home. Place them in all the rooms and light them, let them burn out to the end.
7. Do not drink alcohol, otherwise you run the risk of having a problem with alcohol in the future.
8. It is forbidden on such an important day to cut or dye your hair, cut your nails. If you neglect this rule, you can become a failure for life.
9. A conceived child on such a mournful day will either be sick or in the future will follow a bad path.

On such an important day, every believer should definitely visit the church and defend the entire service with a lit candle. At home, light the piece of candle left over from the service and walk throughout the house, going around all the items. Usually the candle will crackle on negative things. You will need to say goodbye to them or to light them up.

We have listed various signs and customs that true believers try to adhere to. Believe in these traditions or not, it's up to you!