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The day of Good Friday 2024 is not far away. After a Lenten season of 40 days, Good Friday will be celebrated on the twenty-ninth of March Walk 2024. This devout occasion recalls the execution and passing of Jesus Christ over 2,000 years ago. Christians around the world have many names for this occasion, be it Great Friday, Easter Friday, or Black Friday. In many countries, it is a lawful occasion, where governments sanction the day to be kept holy.
It is a day of grieving, as Christians recall the torment and penance of Jesus Christ and how he suffered on the cross for the wrongdoings of the world. Have you at any point asked why this celebration is celebrated when there is a miserable story behind it? Do you have any idea why this Friday is extraordinary and called "Great"? This blog post reveals some insight into these baffling inquiries and offers you a perspective on this celebration. Come, read the story behind Good Friday, understand its historical significance and its connection with astrology.
About Good Friday
The Friday that comes before Easter Sunday is called Good Friday This is the day set aside by Christians to honor the crucifixion of Jesus and his demise at Calvary. Good Friday is observed each year during the Blessed Week as part of the Paschal Triduum (which refers to the Passion, Crucifixion, Death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus). day of Good Friday is primarily observed by Christians and always falls on a Friday, as a part of the Holy week, which includes other important festivities like the Passover and Easter. This special Friday celebrates the symbolic sacrifice of Jesus Christ who is God’s only son.
Jesus was hanged to the cross and died a slow and painful death. According to historical records, his death is believed to have occurred around 3 PM on a Friday, thereby giving this festival the name of ‘Good Friday’. Apart from the sorrow and pain associated with Good Friday, it is also a day of deep significance for Christian believers. People believe that Jesus Christ sacrificed himself on this holy day to save humanity. Moreover, his sacrifice gave his devotees the hope of eternal life. Today, it has become a day of deep significance for Christian believers. Even though the day is marked with sorrow and suffering, it is still called ‘good’ because the common man can find peace through Christ’s sacrificial death.
The History behind Good Friday
As per the story that is shared in the New Testament books of the Bible, Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus Christ’s supporters deceives Jesus to the Romans in exchange for 30 silver coins. Jesus is then detained and kept on trial for claiming to be “the king of the Jews”. According to the Roman law of the day, the punishment for disobedience against the emperor was death by execution.
Jesus, after being heavily flogged and with a crown of thorns pierced on his head is brought before the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate, who does not find any crime in him. However, he gives in to the demands of the people and the Jewish chief priests and washes his hands in public to signify that he cannot do any more regarding the matter. Jesus then begins his walk, carrying a heavy cross on his shoulders, all the way up to Golgotha, or “the place of the skull”. A sign is then placed on the cross with the markings “The king of the Jews”. The hands and feet of Jesus were then brutally pierced with nails and he was hung to the cross.
After extreme anguish and horrendous torment for six hours, Jesus surrenders his spirit. His body was then wrapped and set in a burial tomb. Following three days, when his devotees went to embalm his body, they could not find it as Jesus was resurrected. Since that time, Great Friday has been praised as a day of repentance and thankfulness for the penance made by Jesus Christ.
The Astrological Significance of Good Friday
The time when Chaturdashi with sunrise falls is on the 21st of March. Good Friday is celebrated after this time. The Sunday after this is known as Easter Sunday. In the case of Chaturdashi falling at sunrise on Sunday, then the following Sunday becomes Easter Sunday, and accordingly, Good Friday is commemorated.
On this day, Christ experienced the full brunt of God's anger and forfeited his life to achieve salvation. This day denotes the end of human suffering with the arrival of Easter. Great Friday has become a day of truthfulness and petitions for the entire humankind.
As indicated by the Bible, Jesus has his last dinner with his followers on the Passover, which is the night before his execution. Christians do not follow the specific date on which Jesus was executed. Instead, they follow the flexible date of the Passover, which is decided according to the Jewish Lunar calendar. This usually makes Good Friday fall between March 20th and April 23rd.
The Celebration of Good Friday
In most countries, it is a public or federal holiday. Christians usually fast from consuming meat, food, and liquids during the day and consume a simple vegetarian meal only with water after sunset. Some churches go on processions and sing popular hymns associated with Good Friday. Churches hold services that usually explain the ‘seven words’ spoken by Jesus from the cross. Churchgoers usually wear white or black and abstain from wearing bright colors. Crosses, candlesticks, and altar cloths which are usually seen in the church are removed from the altar, leaving the church bare. The priests of the church also wear black instead of their usual white cassocks.
On Great Friday, Hot Cross Buns are eaten after a day of fasting. The custom of eating Hot Cross Buns started in the fourteenth century when a minister imparted Hot Cross buns to individuals on the street. These buns are sweet, have raisins inside, and a straightforward cross on the top that represents the execution of Jesus. Something else that churches do on this extraordinary day is to ring the church bell 33 times. This has become a way of remembering the life of Jesus on Earth, as he lived for 33 years on Earth until his death.
Christians also read the Bible to understand the story of the crucifixion of Jesus. Some pray during 3 PM as that is the supposed time when Jesus gave up his life. This is known as the ‘scared hours’
According to Christian beliefs, Good Friday is incomplete without attending a service at the church. People visit the church, attend the service, and ask God to forgive their sins. Acts of service to the poor and needy are also observed.
Conclusion
The festival of Good Friday holds special significance to Christians, but the message of love, sacrifice, and forgiveness crosses the boundaries of religion. The story of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ has become a day that shows the power of sacrificial love, and the gift of free redemption. This is a day to be set aside for prayer and gratitude, where everyone can do away with their sufferings and achieve peace in this chaotic life. As we celebrate the killing of sacrificial killing of Jesus Christ, this year, let us embrace the message of penance, hope, love, and reclamation that Good Friday epitomizes.
