Good Friday & Easter
We hope you enjoyed ‘Holi- the festival of colors’ to the fullest, now let’s welcome the arrival of spring with another festival, ‘Good Friday’.
History of Good Friday & Easter
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Good Friday also known as Easter Friday or Holy Friday or Black Friday, or Great Friday is a religious festival primarily celebrated by the Christians.
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Good Friday, the Friday (the Friday in Easter Week) immediately preceding ‘Easter Sunday’, commemorates with Jesus Christ's entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
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The Christians celebrate Good Friday the day on which they commemorate the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross, the act that brought salvation to all who believe.
You can also say that this day many Christians remember Jesus Christ’s death on the cross.
- ‘The Cross’ is one of the strongest Christian symbols of redemptive love.
- The week before Easter is also called "Holy Week".
Do You Celebrate Easter or Good Friday?
Importance of Good Friday and Easter
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Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Good Friday celebrates the Maundy and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles (as described in the Canonical gospels).
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According to the New Testament, Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday, and came back to life three days later.
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Easter is a Christian festival which celebrates the resurrection of the Son Of God ‘Jesus Christ’.
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Good Friday, being an important event in Christianity, represents the pain, scarifies and suffering that Jesus was put through.
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Jesus, being the Son of God, chose to bear all of it and sacrificed himself to save the world from sin.
- Good Friday commemorates the saddest moments during the time Jesus spent on Earth.
How Are Good Friday & Easter Celebrated?
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Considered as the day of mourning, in India, Christians visits the church which is empty and unlit from inside (especially on Good Friday referred to as the day of sadness).
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The figure of Jesus is also covered with a cloth which is to be removed only on Easter indicating his absence.
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The visitors attend the church for a special series of prayers that are offered in the afternoon.
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After the prayer and special services, the visitors are offered a drink which is bitter in taste as it’s prepared from leaves, vinegar, and other ingredients.
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Some Christians also fast or abstain from meat on this day.
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Particularly in areas with a large Christian population they also takes out the procession, parades or open air plays to represent the last days or say hours of Jesus Christ’s life.
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It’s a most solemn week regarded by the Christians as they mourns the death of Jesus, who rose from the dead on Easter Sunday.
Easter Celebration
- The day before Easter is spent on decorating easter eggs.
- Eggs are hidden all over the house and garden after decorating.
- The hidden eggs are searched on Easter day.
- On Easter morning parents tells children to wait for Easter basket containing chocolate eggs and rabbits which are told to be delivered by Easter bunny.
- On easter morning people usually attend Mass feast.
- Parties are organised by people on Easter afternoon. Nut roll, hams and eggs are most popular food items on this day.
What Is The Relation Of Eggs & Bunny With Easter?
Eggs are symbolic to the tomb where Jesus was laid after death. It represents the new life of Jesus after the egg is cracked open just like the tomb was found empty when his disciples opened it, on Easter Sunday, and people said that it was the miracle of his resurrection (as Jesus took rebirth and began his new life).
Earlier, people didn’t eat eggs the entire week leading up to Easter which was also known as the ‘Holy Week’ instead people used to decorate the eggs and color it green (representing the arrival of spring) and red (representing the blood scarified by Jesus, when crucified) and then gift them to the children. In the modern era, eggs coated with chocolate or chocolate eggs are very popular and people name it as delicious Easter eggs.
Rabbit or hare or bunny (symbolizing birth and fertility) was the companion of God Jesus. It is said that over the time it has become incorporated into Christian celebrations and became very popular in Britain during the 19th century.
It’s a very popular tradition now, especially among children, as they believe that Easter bunny visits them the night before Easter Sunday and lays and hides the colorful eggs along with sweets and toys for them as a gift.
Have you tried decorating eggs?
Ideas To Decorate Easter Eggs
Click thumbnail to view full-sizeQuick Tips On Decorating Eggs
- Use glitter with glue to make glittery eggs.
- Use tattoo on eggs.
- Use chalks to decorate eggs.
- Use patterned tapes to decorate eggs.
- Write Beautiful Texts on eggs.
Why Are Hot Cross Buns Famous On Good Friday?
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Traditionally, on the Day of Good Friday, Christians eat hot cross buns which are sweet and spiced, marked with a cross sign on the top.
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Buns and cakes are also baked to honor the Saxon Goddess Eostre, and to celebrate the arrival of the spring season.
- As told by the Christians, the ‘cross sign’ represents the crucifixion of Jesus, while the spices are said to remind Christians of the spices put on his body.
Easter Dates
Year
| Easter Date [Western]
| Easter Date [Eastern]
|
---|---|---|
2015
| 5 April
| 12 April
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2016
| 27 March
| 1 May
|
2017
| 16 April
| 16 April
|
- Good Friday and Easter are moveable feasts as they do not fall on fixed dates every year.
The Public Life In India On Good Friday
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In India, Good Friday is a Gazetted Holiday because as described in the Christian ‘Bible’, it commemorates the final hours of Jesus' life, his crucifixion and death.
- All the national, local, state government offices along with banks and post offices are closed on Good Friday, so that people have a day off from the work.