Good Friday: what not to do? Good Friday before Easter - what you can and cannot do: signs. Lent - Good Friday: what you can eat, bake, what conspiracies, rituals and prayers to read

Friday in Holy Week (week) of Great Lent is the strictest day when it is advisable for a believer to refuse food altogether. Or eat only a little bread and water, and then only in the evening, after the rite of carrying out the Shroud has been performed. Yes, Jesus was crucified on Friday. And many prohibitions and rituals are associated with this day in Christianity. What can and cannot be done on Good Friday?

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

Despite the widespread belief that paska and Easter cakes should be baked exclusively on or as a last resort, on Good Saturday, bread can and should be baked on Friday. They had healing properties and lasted the whole next year. If a person or animal fell ill in the house, he was given a piece of such bread. They believed that paska and bread baked on the Friday before Easter did not get stale or moldy. If the ring is consecrated on this day, then it also possessed protective qualities and reliably guarded its wearer.

The traditions of Good Friday are very closely intertwined with the pagan rites of the Slavic peoples. On this day, bonfires were lit on high hills in honor of Perun, which guaranteed deliverance from evil spirits. People screamed and fire scared away evil spirits, and then rode horses through all the yards, brandishing axes, whips and lit torches.

These same “lighted torches” were woven into church rites. They tried to bring the candle, lit at the service on Friday, home safe and sound, without extinguishing it. And then they went around the house with it, going clockwise, after which they set it to burn out in front of the home icons.

On Friday, any work related to the land was prohibited. However, there is a belief that the greens sown on this day will give the largest harvest. So, parsley, dill or lettuce can and should be planted.

Interestingly, the popular rumor associated Good Friday with breastfeeding, or rather, with its completion. It was believed that if a baby is weaned from the breast today, he will grow up healthy, strong and will be a happy person.

According to popular beliefs, Friday night foreshadowed a good harvest if it was stellar. But the cloudy morning said that the field would be overgrown with grass.

Orthodox Christians celebrate Good or Good Friday. This day is the most mournful of all those that are on Holy Week and the penultimate day of Great Lent. On Good Friday, Christians again and again remember the last earthly day of the life of Jesus Christ. In particular, in their memoirs they rely on the pains of the cross and death.

On Good Friday, it is prescribed to observe a very strict fast, up to a complete abstinence from eating food. It is this concept that the ministers of the church adhere to exactly until the end of the service, which on Friday is of a special nature. In Orthodox traditions, a large number of signs and customs, as well as prohibitions that are relevant for Good Friday, have been preserved.

When is Good Friday in 2018

In 2018, Good Friday falls on April 6th. This is the day when the Passion of Christ is remembered. If we rely on the Gospel, then it was on this day that Jesus was put on trial, made the way of the cross to Golgotha, where he was crucified. On Good Friday, the earthly life of the Savior of mankind ended.

Worship on Good Friday

Special services begin on Maundy Thursday, which is also called Clean. On this day, in all Orthodox churches, the service, which is called the Follow-up of the 12 Gospels, ends. During its course, believers stand in the temple with lit candles. During the service, twelve passages from the Gospel are read, which are dedicated to the sufferings, torments on the cross and the death of Christ.

There are three services in total on Good Friday. In the morning the Hours serve, then, as on Maundy Thursday, the Gospel of the Passion of Christ is read. In the afternoon, vespers are served with the rite of carrying out the shroud. This is followed by the evening service, which is called Great Saturday Matins with the rite of burial of the Shroud.

Good Friday in 2018: what is customary to do

Good Friday is the strictest day of Holy Week of Great Lent. According to ancient legends, on this day it is better to completely refuse food, allowing yourself some bread with cold water. This should take place in the evening - after the rite of carrying out the Shroud has taken place.

Good Friday has always been especially revered in the popular Christian tradition. To our times, a large number of traditions and customs have been preserved that are observed by true believing Christians.

For example, in villages in Russia, throughout Holy Week, peasants burned bonfires on high hillocks, which paid tribute to the memory of the fire god Perun to protect the fields from evil spirits and all kinds of evil spirits. People tried to drive away evil spirits with the help of loud cries and noises. They also specially drove horses around the village in order to scare away evil spirits with horse stomp. Used to protect against the "evil" brooms and whips, which were taken into the hands of a variety of strata of the population. Lighted candles or a torch were held in the other hand.

If we rely on a later Christian tradition, then after reading the 12 Gospels in churches, believers preferred to bring candles lit to the house in order to save their home from evil spirits. They put torches next to the icons.

On Good Friday there are a large number of prohibitions that apply to all Orthodox Christians. The following prohibitions have survived to this day:

• On this day, it is not customary to do anything about the housework. According to legend, a good housewife should finish all her work on Maundy Thursday, and there should be no housework until Easter.
• In memory of those incredible torments of Christ that he endured, it was believed that on Good Friday one should not pierce the earth with iron, as this is a great sin that leads to trouble. Simply put, on Friday it was impossible to harrow, plow and the like.
• On Good Friday, any fun is prohibited. In particular, it was forbidden to laugh out loud, talk, walk and sing. Those who dare to break this tradition, according to ancient legend, the whole year will be tearful.
• Also on Friday, women were not allowed to sew, cut and wash, while men were prohibited from chopping firewood, as well as all kinds of work with an ax and any other metal implements.

Good Friday 2018: signs and customs

On Good Friday, it was customary to observe a large number of customs, while people built their future future on the basis of signs. The following have survived to this day:

• According to an ancient sign, on Good Friday you can find out if there are any “spellbound” things in the house. To do this, go around all the rooms with a lit candle. And if it starts to crack, it means that there is a “spellbound” object nearby, which you need to get rid of as soon as possible.
• It is believed that the ring, which is consecrated on Good Friday, protects against various diseases.
• The folk calendar indicates that if on Good Friday the night is starry and the morning is clear, then a good harvest can be expected from wheat, while if the morning is cloudy, then the field will be overgrown with weeds.
• Despite the fact that it was not customary to work on Good Friday, there is a belief that parsley or cabbage sown on this day gives a double harvest.
• It was believed that bread or Easter cake baked on Good Friday never gets moldy and generally has healing properties. A similar cake was kept for a whole year, and sometimes even used as a remedy for diseases.
• Good Friday, according to ancient belief, is considered a wonderful day for weaning babies from the breast. In this case, children grow up healthy, strong and happy.

The article talks about what Good Friday is and what customs and rituals are associated with this important day.

From the article you will learn why Friday on the eve of Easter was called Holy, what rituals exist, signs of this important day before Christ's Sunday.

Easter in relation to Good Friday

One of the strictest fasts of the year ends at the end of Holy Week (Passion Week), during which believers remember the events that led Jesus Christ to death: spiritual and physical torment became the culmination of the Savior's bodily life.

On Good Friday, the laity read about the Last Supper, the taking of Christ into custody, the trial of the Divine Prisoner, the scourging and the execution of the death sentence, culminating in the crucifixion. The last six days of Great Lent are called "Great" or "Passion". During Holy Week, special services are held, and the Orthodox adhere to a particularly strict fast.

Passion Week is held for the laity in remembrance of the last days spent on earth by Jesus.

Great Monday in churches they read the gospel parable of the roadside fig tree cursed by the Lord. The symbolism and spiritual meaning of the image of the barren fig tree is revealed in detail:

• the roadside fig tree personifies the perishing in repentance, whose soul does not bring faith, prayer and good deeds
• the moment when the tree withered from the words of the Lord shows the Divine power of the Savior, the censure of people who outwardly create the appearance of the executors of God's commandments, but from whom it is impossible to wait for good fruits

On Maundy Tuesday believers devote to reading the parables that the Son of God spoke in the Temple of Jerusalem: about the resurrection, about the judgment of the Savior, about ten virgins.

Believers spend Good Friday in remembrance of the saving passions for Christians

Great Wednesday believers dedicate to reading the parable of the poured precious myrrh on the head of the Savior by sinners. By this they prepared him for repose. On this day, they condemn and curse the greed for money and the betrayal of Judas. It also speaks of the prepared fate of two different people: Judas, who betrayed the Lord and thereby destroyed his soul, and the harlot Mary Magdalene, who repented and accepted salvation.

On Maundy Thursday Several events took place: the establishment by Jesus of the sacrament of the Eucharist at the Last Supper, the prayer of the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Good Friday believers dedicate to remembrances of the saving passions for church-going people and the death of Jesus on the cross.

Great Saturday the laity dedicate reading about the burial of the Savior and how his body was in the tomb. The Holy Fire, which is taken out on this day from the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, is a symbol of the Resurrection of the Lord.

Holy Week believers dedicate preparations for Easter: cleaning is carried out, Easter cakes are baked, Easter eggs are painted.

With Easter cakes and krashankas, believers go to Divine Liturgy on Great Saturday, where the consecration of products is held.

Holy Week ends with the celebration of Easter - Christ's Sunday.

Good Friday - the essence of what it is, what it means, what happens on Good Friday

Good Friday is the day when the Son of God was crucified. During the Divine service, the clergy recall that event three times, reading the Gospel:

• at Matins there is a service of 12 Gospels, excerpts from which recall the saving sufferings and the crucifixion of Jesus, which took place on Friday
• The Great (Royal) Hours pass in the reading of the narrations from the four evangelists
• Great Vespers is held under the reading of the composite Gospel

Video: GREAT LENT. PASSION WEEK. GOOD FRIDAY

When is the Shroud taken out on Good Friday?

• There is no liturgy in the church on Good Friday. However, on the day when Good Friday falls on the Annunciation, the service of St. John Chrysostom takes place.
• On Good Friday, the canon “On the Crucifixion of the Lord” is performed in the temple, and the clergy also take out the Shroud, a symbolic burial shroud with the full-length body of the Savior depicted on it, which lies in a coffin.

• The iconographic image of the Savior in the tomb is an obligatory attribute of the divine services of the last two days of Holy Week: Good Friday and Great Saturday.

• The Shroud is placed on a special elevation, symbolizing the Holy Sepulcher, in front of the Royal Doors. At the same time, the Head of the Savior is turned to the north, and the legs - to the south. Incense is applied to the Shroud, flowers are laid out. These actions symbolize the anointing with incense of the Body of the executed Savior by myrrh-bearing women.
• The service on the day of special repentance begins at two o'clock in the afternoon. The shroud is taken out an hour after the start of the service - at the time of Jesus' death on the cross.

What can you do on Good Friday?

On Good Friday, those who have defended the service bring home 12 burning candles, which are not allowed to burn out to the end. These candles bring prosperity and happiness to the house where they are stored. On this day, you can sow a garden, a field. Dill and peas sown in a small amount are the key to a good harvest.

Can you bake on Good Friday?

It is allowed to bake Easter cakes on Good Friday. Baked Easter cakes should be covered with sacred willow. Such willow twigs are then used as a talisman against evil spirits.

Can you get married on Good Friday?

Believers spend a strict fast on Good Friday in prayers, it is also obligatory to attend a mournful service (Lamentation of the Virgin). If you decide to get married in April, then it is better to wait another 2 weeks after Easter. Go to church, and at the end of the fast you can get married and have a fun wedding.

What does it mean to get married on Good Friday?

On Easter week - on the biggest and most punishable holiday, you can’t walk and have fun. Therefore, it is better to postpone the date of the wedding. Think about whether it is worth starting family life with a big sin and how the wedding on Good Friday will then turn out for both of you, because this is the time to prepare for the resurrection of the Savior.

What not to do on Good Friday?

The following activities are prohibited:

• wash
• sticking iron objects into the ground
• alcohol consumption
• fun

If a person spends this day in amusements, then the whole year will shed tears.

Women on this day cannot:

• spin
• clean the house

Men on this day cannot:

• chopping wood
• use a cleaver
• plant trees

What does a dream on Good Friday mean on Saturday: signs

A dream from Thursday to Friday predicts the future, but the dream takes on special significance on Good Friday. Usually such a dream is filled with accurate predictions. Having seen a prophetic dream, wait for its fulfillment until noon (lunch) of the same day.

What does it mean if a child was born on Good Friday?

On the fate of a child born on Good Friday, this day will not be reflected in any way.

What does a birthday mean on Good Friday?

• In the old days, it was believed that a baby born on Good Friday should be taken to the grandmother so that she would reprimand him from future troubles, and so that the child would not suffer a difficult fate.
• But the clergy have a different opinion on this matter: all the troubles that will happen in the life of such a child will eventually turn into great joy. Therefore, the birth of a baby on a mournful day should not be considered a bad sign.

What does the bread baked on Good Friday mean?

It is believed that if you bake bread on Good Friday, it will be fresh for a long time and will not become moldy. Such bread is used as a remedy for ailments. Sailors took a bun baked on Good Friday with them on a long journey, using it as a talisman. If you keep such a bun at home, then it will become a talisman against fires.

What does it mean to die on Good Friday?

Anyone who leaves this world on Good Friday will experience the torment of life with the Savior and rise with him.

Lent - Good Friday: what can you eat?

Food is not consumed on Good Friday until the moment the Shroud is taken out. But even after that, only bread and water are allowed.

Good Friday: what conspiracies, rituals and prayers to read?

A conspiracy from alcoholism, drunkenness and getting rid of estimated longing

• Ash is taken from the stove on Good Friday.
• It pours at the intersection, where there are no cars.

The plot is read three times:

Just as this ash does not sprout, but the sprouts are petals, the fruit from the petals, so the slave (name) will not take wine in his mouth: neither on Sunday, nor on Saturday, nor on Friday, nor on Thursday, nor on Wednesday, nor on Tuesday, and not on Monday. Amen. Just as this ash will not fill with a key, it will not sing like a nightingale, so the slave (name) will not drink green wine. Amen. As this ash does not farrow, does not give birth, so the slave (name) will forever say goodbye to wine. He will not drink: neither on Sunday, nor on Saturday, nor on Friday, nor on Thursday, nor on Wednesday, nor on Tuesday, nor on Monday, nor on weekdays, nor on holy days. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen. Amen.

• Repeat the ceremony two Fridays in a row.
• Hide the rest of the ash and use it at times when the temptation to drink is great.

Good Friday conspiracy for stress, depression

• To conduct the ceremony, you will need three Easter eggs, which must be lowered into a container of water, over which the following magical text is read:

Strengthen my faithful words, Lord, Strengthen, Christ, the servant of God (name). As people rejoice at a bright Easter, so may the servant of God (name) be happy with life. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen. Amen.

• This water suffering from depression should wash.

• On Good Friday, you need to bake a small bun.
• One half is eaten by those who conduct the ceremony, and the other is kept all year behind the icons. But before you put the bread behind the icons, you need to say:

“Lord, save, save, protect. Now and forever and forever and ever. Amen".

Prayers for Good Friday:

Prayer for others

O Jesus, have mercy on your holy Church; take care of him.
Oh Jesus, have mercy on poor sinners and save them from hell.
Oh Jesus, bless my father, my mother, my brothers and sisters, and whatever I have to pray.
O Jesus, have pity on the souls in purgatory and bring them to your heavenly rest.

Prayer to Express Sorrow for Sins

God my Father,
I'm sorry for turning my back on your friendship.
You showed only love for me.
I have sometimes shown a little love in return.
Because of yours, yours only, Jesus, who died and rose again for me, forgive me all my sins.
Father, not only have I offended you with my sins, but I have also offended your community here on earth.
I promise to show great love to the neighbor in order to make up for my sins.
There is nothing I can do if your Holy Spirit does not help me lead a life like Jesus, a life spent forgetting about myself in the service of others.
Prayer for Holiness on Good Friday
Lord, for tomorrow and its needs I don't pray

Prayer for unity

Heavenly Father,
you are the Father of all men.
We ask you to send the Holy Spirit,
Spirit that unites people
so all people
forget past troubles
put aside unfair opinions,
and work together for the benefit of all,
regardless of their religion,
no matter what their races are,
so in the end
this world,
did good men working together,
in the spirit of Jesus and work with you,
may be given to you by your Son,
Unite especially all Christians
so they can be together again soon,
like one flock around the table of the Lord's Supper.
We ask you to unite more closely those of our Church who
so under the guidance of the Spirit unto thy kingdom,
we can work, pray and live happily together
in love and peace. (Amen)

Prayers for Good Friday

Prayer for Holiness on Good Friday

Lord, for tomorrow and its needs I don't pray
Keep me, my God, from the stain of sins,
Let me both work diligently and pray properly,
Let me be a kind word and deed to others,
Let me do nothing wrong or idle in words, thoughtless say
Set you a lock on my lips
Let me in the season, Lord, be honest, in the season of gays,
Let me be true to your grace just for today
And if today, my tide of life should fade,
Oh bet if I die today, come home today,
So, for tomorrow and its needs, I don't pray
But hold me, guide and love me, Lord, I pray you.

A conspiracy for the whole year from all enemies

"In the name of the Father and the Son
And the Holy Spirit.
King Herod fights, fights,
Shedding blood, no one
Doesn't regret
Doesn't let anyone down.
Against the evil man
Great Sagittarius -
God the Father!
At our Lord
Jesus Christ
The sun is a bow, the month is an arrow:
There is something to shoot.
The Lord will not give anyone
Offend me.
The Lord God is ahead of me
Mother of God behind
With them I'm not afraid of anyone,
With Them, I fear no one.
And you, my evil enemies,
You spoke in tongues,
Hot pincers in fangs
And in the filthy eyes of the sands.
In the name of the Father and the Son
And the Holy Spirit.
Now and forever and forever and ever.
Amen".

Conspiracy to ask for forgiveness from the deceased

Reading on Good Friday evening.

“In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
There is no beginning without end.
in the name of the Creator.
Name of Jesus Christ.
I will get up and cross myself.
I will go beyond the threshold
Blessed
I will go to the holy church
To the golden cross
To the Mother of God
And her son Jesus Christ.
I will beg with bows
And crosses
I will pay with repentant Tears.
In the realm of the dead
dead state,
In the middle of darkness
The darkness of dead people.
Kings, executioners,
Judges and sovereigns
Dashing and kind people
There is one dead soul.
Before this soul
There is my fault.
For the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ.
For His crown of thorns
I ask and beg (name) to forgive me
And my living soul
Let go of the sin.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Now and ever
And forever and ever. Amen."

Video: Good Friday. Our Easter is Christ!

Good Friday in the Orthodox faith is considered the most mournful day during the entire church year. According to the scriptures, it was on this day that Jesus Christ was crucified in agony on the cross. Every year the date when Good Friday is different. After all, this day directly depends on when exactly Easter comes.

Good Friday 2018, what date the Orthodox will have, depends on the date of Easter. This year, Easter will be quite early, it falls on April 8th. Accordingly, if you look at the calendar, it is not difficult to understand that Good Friday will be April 6th. On this day, you need to refrain from any work, be sure to go to the temple. Once again, we emphasize the fact that this is the most mournful day of the year.

Good Friday is also the penultimate day of Lent. On this day, in churches at services, and even in home prayers, the passions of Christ, his painful death on the cross, are remembered. Also on this day, the body was taken down from the cross and buried in a cave. April 6 is the exact date Good Friday will be in 2018.

Preparing for Good Friday

On Clean Thursday, the day that precedes the Friday described, you need to complete the general cleaning at home. It is important to do this on Thursday, because, on Good Friday, all economic affairs will already be under a strict ban. Moreover, it is no longer possible to leave Good Friday until the second week after Easter.

Also on Good Friday, you need to stop preparing a festive Easter table. If on Thursday housewives can safely paint eggs, put dough on Easter cake, put cottage cheese Easter, jelly and aspic, then on Friday any work in the kitchen should be abandoned.

• Do any household work. It has already been noted that it is impossible to clean and cook on this day, it is also impossible to sew, wash. The Church considers all these actions on a holiday a great sin.
• It is impossible to work with the earth on Good Friday: drip, plant and even water. It is believed that everything sown on this day will not produce any harvest at all.
• Refrain from drinking alcohol completely. In general, Great Lent is underway, when alcohol has long been banned. But even if a person does not fast, then on Good Friday it is necessary to give up the use of alcoholic beverages so as not to become an alcoholic.
• Any carnal pleasures are prohibited. If children are conceived on this day, then the people said that they would be born sick, they could become criminals in their future.
• Haircuts and hair coloring should also be avoided. In general, on Good Friday you should not go to a beauty salon for any business.
• Of course, you need to refrain from recreational activities: even watching TV.

What do they do on Good Friday

We have already noted exactly what you should not do on this important and mournful day before Easter. Now, of course, you need to mark those deeds that are welcome on this day.

You should try to spend this day in silence and calmness, pray a lot, remember the torment of Jesus Christ, which he accepted in the name of all mankind. Be sure to go to the temple on this day, ideally, for the morning and evening services. The evening service is important, at which the Shroud is brought to the center of the temple. This is a piece of fabric that depicts Jesus Christ in full growth. The shroud is located in the center of the temple on a hill, decorated with flowers, and the Gospel is placed on top of it. The evening service ends before the Shroud.

Important! At the service in the temple in front of the Shroud, it is important to stand with bowed head and bow low during the change of the cross. You should also venerate the Shroud at the end of the service.

What to eat on Good Friday?

April 6th is the date of Good Friday 2018. It should also be noted that this is one of the strictest days of Lent. On this day, church canons prescribe complete abstinence from food throughout the day. With the appearance of the first star in the sky, you can eat some bread and drink water.

Important! Such strict dietary regulations are obligatory for the clergy. As for the laity, the usual strict fast can be observed. For example, eat twice a day, not three.

Signs and customs of Good Friday:

• The people believed that if three years in a row on Good Friday, strictly fasting and abstaining from food and food, then a person will be able to see his death hour three days before death. Many wanted this in order to properly prepare for their death.
• People also said that if you completely abstain from food on Good Friday, then God will forgive all sins (starting with the last confession).
• After the service in the temple, you need to buy and light the light. Do not extinguish the candle and go home with it, put it in a red corner. Now, while spending time in prayer, wait until the candle burns out completely. It is believed that such a ritual provides the house with happiness and prosperity for the whole year.
• You can go around the house with a lit candle, which is brought from the temple. If somewhere the candle begins to smoke or crackle, there is a thing with bad energy: it is recommended to get rid of it.
• Despite the fact that church tradition only has a negative attitude towards magical actions and rituals, it is believed that conspiracies that are read on Good Friday have a strong effect and protect for the whole year.

If you know exactly how the calculations are carried out and what kind of day it is, then it will not be difficult in subsequent years to independently determine the date of this day. You just need to count from the date of Easter two days ago, this year it falls on April 6, provided that Orthodox believers celebrate Easter on April 8.

About the Symbols of Good Friday

If we talk about figurative symbols, then, of course, first of all we are talking about the transition from earthly life to eternal life, which exists outside the body. The material symbol of this day is the Shroud. About how much attention is paid to it, we have already considered in the framework of this material. It is believed that in Turin they bring to the temple exactly the Shroud that was wrapped around the body of Christ after it was taken down from the cross. Therefore, many pilgrims go on Good Friday precisely.

In conclusion of this material, I would like to remind you that Good Friday is the most mournful day of the year. This is the last day of the life of the Son of God, the Savior of mankind Jesus Christ on earth. The laity know what happened next, what exactly they celebrate on Bright Easter Sunday. But on Good Friday, attention is paid to precisely those events that historically took place on this particular day.

Good Friday is the strictest day of Holy Week, and at the same time the saddest. Find out what you can do on this day, what is forbidden to do, as well as signs of Good Friday according to customs.

Good Friday precedes the Easter holiday and is dedicated to the memory of the day of the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. This is the day of the strictest fast. This year Good Friday falls on April 6th.

Friday is the day on which Jesus Christ was crucified. Therefore, Good Friday is dedicated to memories of the trial of Jesus Christ, his crucifixion and death on the cross at Calvary, the removal of His body from the cross and burial. The Good Friday service includes a threefold reading of the gospel narrative of these events.

At Matins, the Twelve Gospels are read in succession - twelve Gospel passages that, in chronological order, tell about the events of Friday. At the Great (Royal) Hours, the narratives of each of the four evangelists (Matthew, John, Luke and Mark) are read separately. And at the great vespers, one lengthy composite gospel tells about the events of that day.

Good Friday is an exceptional day, and its exclusivity (as well as the exclusivity of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary) is emphasized by the fact that the liturgy is not performed on this day. However, if Good Friday coincides with the Annunciation, the liturgy of John Chrysostom is served. At Vespers, a special canon is sung about the crucifixion of the Lord, and the shroud is brought out.

The shroud is a board on which the Lord Jesus Christ is depicted in full growth, lying in the tomb. After the removal, the Shroud is placed on a special platform in the center of the temple. It is customary to anoint her with incense and decorate with flowers in memory of how the myrrh-bearing women anointed the body of the buried Christ with incense.

Good Friday is a special day on which, according to the charter, one must refrain from eating until the removal of the Shroud, and after that one can only eat bread and drink only water. All preparations for the Easter holiday must be completed on Maundy Thursday, so that on Good Friday nothing distracts from prayers and services. On this day, you can not do any household chores, especially sewing, washing and cutting something. Violation of this prohibition is considered a great sin. Those who follow the strictest rules of Lent do not even wash themselves on this day.

On Good Friday it is not customary to sing, walk and have fun - it is believed that a person who had fun on Good Friday will cry all year. However, despite the fact that on this day the service is imbued with sorrow, it is already preparing the faithful for the upcoming feast of the Resurrection of Christ.

In the popular mind, Good Friday is associated with a number of signs and superstitions. It is believed, for example, that bread baked on this day will never grow moldy and will heal from all diseases. Sailors considered the bread baked on Good Friday to be a talisman against shipwrecks. And the hot cross bun baked that day will protect the house from fires until the next Good Friday.

In Russia, on this day, wealthier neighbors treated their relatives and friends who could not afford it with festive baking, milk, eggs, cottage cheese.
On Good Friday it is very undesirable to work. So, according to the sign, you can’t stick iron objects into the ground, for example, shovels and rakes: this is a disaster. Therefore, plants planted on this day will die. Only parsley sown on Good Friday will give a double harvest. Clothes washed by the hostess and hung out to dry on Friday will never be clean: blood stains will appear on the linen.

After the Friday service, it is customary to bring twelve burning candles into the house, with which they stood in the church. Candles should be put in the house and let them burn out to the end. It is believed that this will bring happiness and prosperity to the house for the next twelve months.

Of course, many signs came from paganism, not Christianity, and some of them even contradict Christian traditions. But to believe in signs or not is the personal choice of each person. Good Friday is another reason to pause in our busy lives and think: is this how we live?

Good Friday Signs:
A loaf of bread baked on Good Friday heals all diseases and never gets moldy.
On Good Friday, in no case should you pierce the ground with iron; whoever does this will be in trouble.
If washed clothes are hung out to dry on Good Friday, bloodstains will appear on them.
If you transport bees on any day other than Good Friday, they will certainly die.
If you endure your thirst on Good Friday, then no amount of drinking will harm you for a whole year.
Rings consecrated on Good Friday protect the one who wears them from all diseases.
Easter muffin saved from one Good Friday to the next prevents whooping cough.
Only parsley sown on Good Friday gives a double harvest.
Weaning babies from the breast on Good Friday - the sign says that the child will be strong, healthy and will live happily
If it is cloudy on Good Friday, then the bread will be with weeds.
If the sky is starry on Good Friday, then the wheat will be grainy.
In addition, on Good Friday, they determined whether there were things that had been said in the house: on this day, they took an unburned candle from the church, which was in their hands during the service, brought it home, lit it and walked through the rooms. It is believed that where it crackles, there is a damaged thing.