Good Friday: what not to do on April 18
18 April 2025 02:25
This year, Good Friday falls on April 18. It is an important day that precedes Easter. "Komersant Ukrainian" tells you what you shouldn’t do on this day and what traditions you should follow.
Good Friday
This is the last Friday before Easter, the day Jesus was crucified. It was on this Friday that he was martyred for the salvation of humanity.
Friday is a day of deep sadness, and no bells ring in churches. Christians recall the events that preceded the resurrection of Jesus – the arrest and execution of the Savior.
During the vespers in churches, the Shroud is brought out. It symbolizes the large cloth in which Jesus Christ was wrapped after being taken down from the cross.
Traditionally, this day was spent in prayer with great restraint.
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Good Friday traditions
On this day, Christians go to church to pray together and commemorate the suffering of Jesus Christ. On Good Friday, special services are held to commemorate the events that took place on Good Friday.
For many believers, this day is the strictest day of the entire Lenten season. Only bread and water are allowed, or better yet, they can refuse to eat at all.
Prohibitions on Good Friday – what not to do
According to church beliefs, Good Friday should be spent as quietly and modestly as possible – you should give up any entertainment and observe a strict fast.
Singing, dancing, and other festivities should be postponed until the end of the fast. Folk wisdom says for a reason: “Those who laugh on Good Friday will cry all year long.”
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People often ask if they can work on Good Friday and if they can do laundry on Good Friday. There is no ban on work in the church, but it is believed that it is better to devote the day to prayer and reflection on spiritual things.
According to popular belief, on this date, you still need to give up physical labor, repairs, gardening, and work in the garden. It is better to complete all household chores the day before on Maundy Thursday and rest until Easter.
Also, on Good Friday, you should not quarrel, swear, wish evil on other people, or drink alcohol.
What you can do on Good Friday
First of all, on Good Friday, Christians should pray. Sincere prayers will help you repent of your sins.
On Good Friday, you can bake Easter cakes and dye eggs, as well as prepare food for the Easter table. But you should not eat them if it breaks the fast.
It is believed that bread baked on this day never gets moldy and generally has healing properties. It is customary to keep one of the Easter cakes for a whole year, and sometimes even use it as a remedy for diseases.
Many believers wonder whether it is permissible to wash their hair on Good Friday or to cut their hair. Body care is allowed on this day because personal hygiene cannot be a sin.
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