Good Friday 2023

While Easter is a day for egg hunts, candies, and bright celebrations, Good Friday is a sad day but is considered one of Christianity's most important holidays. This is because Good Friday commemorates Jesus’ death and crucifixion. Due to this reason, many people around the world honor his sacrifice for humanity with celebrations that mimic the suffering Jesus had gone through. Therefore, the day is also known as ‘Sorrowful Friday’ or the ‘Sacred or Holy Friday.’

Many people spend the day praying and fasting as they remember the passion, judgment, death, crucifixion, and burial of Christ. It is believed that Christ was crucified on Good Friday, and three days later, he rose again, which is now marked as Easter.

In 2023, Good Friday is on the 7th of April.

History

The celebration of the day goes back to the 4th century. This practice denotes a time of fasting and self-punishment on Christ’s death anniversary. According to the documents in the Gospels, Judas Iscariot was protecting the temple guards; he then arrested Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was taken to the house of Annas after the arrest, where he was interrogated but could not give satisfactory answers. After being questioned by many, the crowd finally wanted Jesus to be crucified for claiming that he was the son of god. So he was taken to the crucifixion site, where Jesus was crucified along with two other criminals.

He suffered for six long hours on the cross; he had already seen darkness fall over the world during the last three. Finally, he gave up his spirit as his last words were him asking god why he had abandoned Jesus. This was believed to be followed by many natural disasters, broken tombs, and other paranormal activities.

Joseph of Arimathea revered Jesus and requested for his body to Pilate. Another follower of Jesus, Nicodemus, helped to wrap his body. Pilate wanted to ensure that Christ was dead, so a soldier pierced a side showing the oozing blood, thus confirming that he was dead. This is Good Friday’s sad history.

Easter is celebrated on the third day as it is celebrated by the followers who believe that Jesus rose from the dead that day.

Celebration Worldwide

For Christians, Good Friday is supposed to be a day of reflection, a day they could spend focusing on the sacrifice Jesus made. It is also a day the church spends mourning the death of Jesus. People all over the world celebrate it in a pretty similar way.

In many countries, Good Friday is celebrated by praying and fasting. Many services are held at the church in the afternoon to remember the crucifixion hours of Jesus on the cross. Many also re-enact the crucifixion with the cross that shows the last hours of the life of Jesus.

Many churches hold Veneration, a small ceremony where Christians affirm their faith by kneeling before the cross and remembering the way of the cross. Many countries, like Spain, Malta, Italy, India, and the Philippines, hold parades spreading out the word about the sacrifice of Jesus. Finally, there are a few countries like Bermuda, where people gather to fly kites to represent Jesus’ ascension into heaven.

The churches of Mexico and Belgium would be draped in black, and in Jerusalem, they follow the footsteps of Jesus and walk his exact path, the way of the cross, to the place where he was crucified. In London, people gather to depict the crucifixion every year on Good Friday. This play would be open to the public and completely free.

The pope in the Vatican City, outside the Colosseum, recites the way of the cross for believers around the world, holding their candles. In Greece, people participate in a procession conducted by the church as if it were a funeral. Some Catholic and Orthodox churches have tomb models at the service to help people remember the death and the site of his burial.

Stations of the Cross

Also called the Way of Sorrows, the Stations of the Cross refers to images depicting the day of Jesus’ crucifixion. A series of 14 shots, the 14 Stations of the Cross, will be arranged in a numbered order for believers to stop at each station and say their prayers. Sometimes, the 14 Stations of the Cross might also have the Resurrection of Jesus, making it 15.

You could visit many places to participate in the Good Friday activities. With redBus, you can book your tickets no matter where you are through a quick and straightforward process. You can rely on redBus to plan your visit correctly and save more. Enjoy Good Friday with friends and family this year with redBus.