Good Friday before Easter - what you can do and what you can’t: signs. Lent - Good Friday: what can you eat, bake, what spells, rituals and prayers can you read? What can you eat on Good Friday?

Good Friday in Orthodox faith is considered the most mournful day throughout the entire church year. According to scriptures, it was on this day that Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross in agony. Every year the date of 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. Easter will be quite early this year, falling on April 8th. Accordingly, if you look at the calendar, it is not difficult to understand that Good Friday will be on April 6th. On this day you need to abstain from any work and be sure to go to temple. Let us once again emphasize the fact that this is the most mournful day of the year.

Also, Good Friday is the penultimate day of Lent. On this day, in churches at services, and in prayers at home, the passion of Christ, his painful death on the cross. Also on this day, the body was taken down from the cross and buried in a cave. April 6th is exact date When is Good Friday in 2018?

Preparing for Good Friday

IN Maundy Thursday, the day that precedes the described Friday, you need to complete general cleaning of the house. It is important to do this on Thursday, because Good Friday all economic activities will already be strictly prohibited. Moreover, it is no longer possible to clean up from Good Friday until the second week after Easter.

Also on Good Friday you need to stop preparing the festive Easter table. If on Thursday housewives can calmly paint eggs, put dough on Easter cakes, put Easter cottage cheese, jellied meat and aspic, then on Friday they must refuse any work in the kitchen.

• Perform any homework. It has already been noted that you cannot clean and cook on this day, you also cannot sew or do laundry. The Church considers all these actions on the holiday to be a great sin.
• You cannot work with the soil on Good Friday: dripping, planting, or even watering. It is believed that everything sown on this day will yield absolutely no harvest.
• Stop drinking alcohol completely. Actually, it's going Lent when alcohol has long been banned. But even if a person does not fast, then on Good Friday one must definitely abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages so as not to become an alcoholic.
• Any carnal pleasures are prohibited. If children were conceived on this day, people said they would be born sick and could become criminals in their future.
• You should also avoid cutting and coloring your hair. In general, on Good Friday you should not go to a beauty salon for any reason.
• Of course, you need to refrain from entertainment activities: even watching TV.

What do you 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, we need to note those things that are welcomed on this day.

You should try to spend this day in peace and quiet, pray a lot, remember the torment of Jesus Christ, which he accepted in the name of all mankind. You should definitely go to church on this day, ideally for morning and evening services. The evening service is important, during which the Shroud is brought to the center of the temple. This is a piece of fabric that depicts Jesus Christ in full height. 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. Evening service ends before the Shroud.

Important! During the church service in front of the Shroud, it is important to stand with your head bowed and bow low during the substitution 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 some water.

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

Signs and customs of Good Friday:

• People believed that if for three years in a row on Good Friday one adheres strictly to fasting and abstains from food and drink, 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 from the last confession).
• After the service in the temple, you need to buy and light a light. Do not put out the candle and go home with it, put it in the red corner. Now, spending time in prayer, wait until the candle burns out completely. It is believed that such a ritual ensures happiness and prosperity for the home. whole year.
• You can walk around the house with a lit candle that you brought from the temple. If somewhere a candle starts to smoke or crackle, there is something with bad energy there: it is recommended to get rid of it.
• Even though church tradition only has a negative attitude towards magical actions and rituals, it is believed that conspiracies that are read on Good Friday have strong effect and are protected for a whole year.

If you know exactly how calculations are carried out and what kind of day it is, then in subsequent years it will not be difficult to independently determine the date of this day. You just need to count back two days from the date of Easter; 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. We have already discussed how much attention is paid to it within the framework of this material. It is believed that in Turin they bring into 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 and what exactly they celebrate on Easter Sunday. But on Good Friday, attention is paid precisely to those events that historically took place on this day.

Everything that happens on Good Friday must be associated with mourning. What is Good Friday: what you can do and what you can’t do - we’ll tell you all about it in our article.

Highlights

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

This day is very important for the temple servants, who perform three services. From the very morning there is a service where the Gospel about the Passion of Christ is read, in the afternoon there is vespers, and in the evening there is Matins on Holy Saturday.

All Christians follow a strict diet throughout the day. Church workers know that today you can’t eat anything. Only in the evening is it allowed to eat bread and drink water.
Try not to put off preparing the cake until the last minute. It is advisable to complete all preparations on Thursday, then go shopping in the evening, as if to cleanse yourself of all the bad things. By Friday there should be no work left to do so that nothing distracts from prayers and services.

On Friday, many things are prohibited. You must adhere to these rules if you truly believe in God. The first thing to remember is that you should never do chores around the house. You should have dealt with all your worries the day before.

Housewives should also understand that they cannot do laundry. From time immemorial there has been a legend that scarlet stains similar to blood can appear on clothes. Amateur gardeners should take note that on this day it is forbidden to cut, dig, plant, and especially cultivate the soil.

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

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

There are some dietary restrictions. Since last night you can no longer eat or drink anything. Long-standing traditions and customs indicate that if you do not drink water, all the liquid you drink throughout the year will provide health benefits.

Now let's talk about what you can still do in . This point is important for Christians. Many people believe that nothing can be done on this day. But that's not true! 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 a talisman of fortune tellers. This good sign. If you plant parsley in your garden, passion, love, mutual understanding and a rich harvest will reign in your family for a whole year.

Advice! Dry the herb leaves and place them in a bag. This attribute will serve as excellent protection against negative impact evil spirits for a whole year. The same effect is given to 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 belief for the treatment of whooping cough. You need to bake any pastry and, most importantly, leave it until the next Great Christ's Sunday. The baked goods should also 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 folk signs, but whether to believe in them or not is up to each person. Below we will 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 become moldy.
3. Gardeners should consider one very important point. You cannot loosen the ground with an iron tip, otherwise disaster will befall them.
4. Illuminated rings will benefit health and protect against various ailments.
5. If mommy weans the baby from the breast, 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 rooms and light them, let them burn out to the end.
7. You should not drink alcohol, otherwise you risk having a problem with alcohol in the future.
8. It is prohibited to cut or dye your hair or cut your nails on such an important day. If you neglect this rule, you can become a loser for life.
9. A child conceived on such a mournful day will either be sick or will follow a bad path in the future.

On such an important day, every believer must attend church and attend the entire service with a lit candle. At home, light the piece of candle left after the service and walk throughout the house, looking at all the objects. Usually a candle crackles on negative things. They will need to be said goodbye or illuminated.

We have listed various signs and customs to which true believers try to adhere. Whether you believe in these traditions or not is up to you!

Photo from the website “Business Slavyansk”

Friday before Easter Christians celebrate one of the most sorrowful days in church calendar , since it is at this time that the suffering and death of Jesus Christ is remembered.

Good Friday(as this day is called) involves the performance of certain rituals in churches, here it is performed worship of the shroud– 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 morning worship when the Gospel is read before the Shroud. During the day, a board with the image of Christ is taken out, while “Lamentation” is read Mother of God", and in the evening a funeral service is held. At this time in churches all people stand with candles and listen to the “canon Holy Saturday" It should be said that worship occurs until late evening on Saturday, and after the religious procession the shroud is brought back to the temple. It reads there Sunday Gospel about 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 observed in order for there to be peace and tranquility in the family.

Good Friday: What not to do

Absolutely all sincere believers do not eat anything at all until the removal of the shroud. And immediately returning from church, friendly family sits down at the dining table to eat food.

• It is important to note the fact that dinner on Good Friday is a fast one; you should not even eat fish on this day. On Good Friday, fasting is extremely strict. Products that can be eaten on a given day are: vegetables, fruits, lean bread. All food must be eaten even without vegetable oil.

• In order to protect yourself from poisons, you don’t need to drink anything throughout the day of 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 on Good Friday there is a special ban on sewing.

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

• Also, it is absolutely not worth chopping wood on Good Friday, as this is bad omen have a great day.

• You cannot sing, dance, walk, have fun, laugh, drink alcohol, quarrel or swear on Good Friday. It was always said that a person who had fun on Good Friday would be very sad, cry and suffer throughout the next year.

• You cannot violate the integrity of the earth on Good Friday, because grief may happen. Anything planted on Good Friday will be lost.
• Those who follow the strictest rules of the Great Pre-Easter Lent, on this day they don’t even wash. Violation of these prohibitions is considered a great sin.

• You cannot stick iron objects, such as shovels and rakes, into the ground on Good Friday: this will bring trouble. Therefore, plants planted on this day will die. Only parsley sown on Good Friday will yield a double harvest.

Good Friday: what you can do

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

• Housewives were only allowed to bake Easter cakes and plant cabbage. On Good Friday you can and even need to bake Easter cakes. They say that Easter baked today will never spoil or become moldy. Easter cake baked in Holy Week, can heal from any disease, protect from bad weather and fire.

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

• People believe that parsley sown on Good Friday will give a rich harvest, unlike other plants that cannot be planted on Good Friday.

Signs of Good (Great) Friday

• A loaf of bread baked on Good Friday cures all illnesses and never goes moldy.

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

• If you are thirsty on Good Friday, no drink will harm you for a whole year.

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

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

• Rings blessed on Good Friday protect the wearer from all illnesses.

• Easter baked goods saved from one Good Friday to the next prevent whooping cough.

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

• On Good Friday it is also customary to determine whether there are spoken things in the house. From the church they bring an unburned candle that was in their hands during the service, light it and go through the rooms. Where it crackles, there is a damaged item.

• In addition, after Friday service, it is customary to bring twelve burning candles with which they stood in church to the house. Candles should be placed 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 sprucing up your house on Maundy Thursday, you didn’t have time to look into the kitchen and bake some Easter eggs, you’ll have this opportunity on Saturday. This cannot be done on Good Friday.

Good Friday is the most mournful day of the pre-Easter week, because it was on Friday that Jesus Christ was subjected to severe torture and executed. What traditions should be followed on this day, what should you not do on Good Friday, so as not to experience troubles for a whole year?

We have collected 7 basic rules of behavior on Good Friday. Follow them and share the advice with your loved ones!

1.Good Friday is the strictest fasting day throughout Lent. Even if you haven’t fasted before, but want to make up for lost time at least a little, you can start today. According to Christian canons, on this day believers refuse any food until the Shroud is taken out. After three o'clock in the afternoon you can satisfy your hunger with a slice of bread and a glass clean water. The belief says that if a person can endure thirst throughout Good Friday, no drink can harm him for the entire year.

2. Don’t laugh and refrain from visiting entertainment venues and events. We are not talking, of course, about a reaction to a funny joke. But you shouldn’t purposefully have fun on Good Friday. It is believed that a person who is overly joyful on this day will next year will cry.

3. Don't wash, don't sew, don't cut. Any housework is prohibited on Good Friday.

4. Do not pierce the ground with iron objects - this will lead to grief and misfortune. By this rule, our ancestors, of course, meant seasonal work in the field and garden. But even in modern conditions there is something to think about: for example, from a transplant indoor plants or seedlings, it’s better to refuse for now.

By the way, there is one exception to this rule: the Slavs have long believed that parsley planted on Good Friday will give a double harvest. But keep in mind that you will have to sow the seeds without touching the ground with sharp or metal objects.

5. Bless the ring in the church. It will protect you from all diseases. Not necessarily a wedding item, not necessarily a precious one - just a favorite thing that you don’t part with every day.

6. In the old days they said: in order for your baby to grow strong and happy, you need to wean him on Good Friday. A controversial rule, of course, but if you think that folk signs- not fiction, it’s still worth a try.

7. C church service bring home twelve burning candles and let them burn out completely. It will bring you material well-being, luck and joy.

Folk signs for Good Friday

In addition to customs and traditions that are at least somehow related to Christianity, Good Friday is fraught with many frankly pagan beliefs in its history.

Among them, the most interesting are these.

1.On Good Friday, you can find out if there is a “spoken” thing in your house (one that evil man caused damage). To do this, they bring an unburned candle from the church, light it in the house and go around all the rooms with it, bringing it to different corners. They say that it is precisely in the place where the candle flame begins to crackle that the enchanted object is located.

2. On this day they traditionally told fortunes about the harvest based on the weather. If the sky is starry, expect a grain harvest. if it’s cloudy all day, “the bread will be with the weeds,” our ancestors said. Which means expect a bad harvest this year.

What does Good Friday mean?

According to tradition, Christians believe that it was on this day that Jesus was crucified on Mount Golgotha. Therefore, the day of remembrance of the Passion of the Savior is essentially mourning for believers - this explains the abundance of strict prohibitions.

Good or Good Friday has always been highly revered among the people. After all, the death of Christ symbolizes the slaughter of an innocent lamb for the sins of all mankind - and Jesus’ gratitude for his act has no measure.

Of course, Orthodox and pagan customs were mixed on this day. In Rus', for example, it was customary to drive evil spirits out of the village - for this, boys and girls, armed with what, walked and rode through the village from end to end on foot and on horseback. These and many other traditions are a thing of the past, and some, on the contrary, have only now been revived. In any case, knowing the customs of your ancestors is a commendable thing, and observing them is doubly commendable

If you answer the question of what you can eat on Good Friday in a nutshell, it turns out that you are allowed to consume only bread and water.

The fact is that this is the strictest day of Lent - it was on Friday that Christ was put on trial and crucified on the cross.

On this day, it is advisable to really survive only on bread and water (sweet pastries, of course, are prohibited). There are others acceptable products what you can eat on Good Friday before Easter:

• raw vegetables and fruits;
• vegetables and fruits, canned, soaked;
• herbal tea without sugar;
• freshly squeezed vegetable or fruit juice.

It is strictly forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages in any quantity on this day. If it so happens that your birthday falls on Good Friday, it is better to celebrate it modestly or even postpone the celebration to another day .

Is it possible to cook on the Friday before Easter?

Sometimes people wonder whether it is possible to cook on Good Friday. There are no strict prohibitions in this regard. That is, you can even cook Easter cakes, paint eggs, and prepare other holiday dishes.

But, just in case, it is better to do this on Saturday, because a fasting person may simply not be able to withstand the strong temptation and taste forbidden foods.

When can you eat?

Along with the question of what can be eaten on Good Friday, they also ask the question of when exactly food can be eaten. It is known that the Savior died at exactly 15 o’clock, so until this moment it is generally forbidden to consume any food or even drink water.

Of course, such a prohibition is quite strict, but one must keep in mind that Good Friday is the most mournful day in the church calendar. It comes once a year, so it is quite possible to prepare for this limitation. After all, for example, we can be patient with food and water when we take tests.

Are there exceptions to the rules?

Of course there is. It is obvious that not every person can withstand the strict Lent, much less spend half a day without food. And we must understand that no one expects special sacrifices, i.e. You cannot comply with the requirements of fasting to the detriment of your health. Therefore, relaxations are allowed for:

1. Pregnant and lactating women.
2. Small children, babies.
3. Elderly people.
4. All people suffering from serious diseases, especially disorders of the digestive system.
5. Busy with heavy physical labor, requiring considerable expenditure of calories.

The clergy also give corresponding comments.

If a person did not initially fast, he should also pay attention to what he can eat on Good Friday and what time he can eat on this day. Each person can join the fast from any moment - as his heart dictates.

If you want to honor the memory of the Lord, you can do this on Good Friday. It is better to prepare for this in advance so that you do not take anything orally until lunch (until 14-15 hours). And in case of doubt, you can simply turn to a priest or spiritual developed person, whose opinion you always listen to.