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There are quite a lot of prohibitions associated with Good Friday, so you can often hear the question: is it possible to work on this day? A detailed answer to it, as well as the clergyman’s comments, are given in the article.
Passionate, or Great, Friday is the day when the trial of Christ took place, after which the Savior was crucified and died on the cross. It is believed that on the same day the body of Jesus was taken down from the cross and buried.
The death of Christ was a very tragic event. The Bible reports that as soon as he died, the stones next to the cross split, and the day became dark as night. The crowd of people shuddered, and many of them sincerely believed that Jesus was truly the Son of God, and not a common fraudster, as his accusers believed.
However, the tragedy of history lies not so much in these shocks, but in the fact that, in fact, many people betrayed the Savior. Less than a week later, crowds enthusiastically greeted his entry into Jerusalem on a donkey (today Palm Sunday is celebrated in honor of this). And on Friday, during the trial before Pontius Pilate, many of them, in a fit of anger, shouted: “Crucify him!”
The story is described in detail in all four Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Here short description events of that day, which happened about 2000 years ago: the trial of the Lord and his execution.
Is it possible to work and do household chores?
If possible, on such a day you should refrain from work and from any usual activities that take a lot of time. For example, these are all kinds of housework - spring-cleaning, washing, sewing, ironing, feasts, visiting and receiving guests, etc. It is obvious that each task gradually consumes a person, which makes it very difficult for him to concentrate on spiritual reflection and honoring the memory of Christ.
However, we cannot always afford to devote the whole day to God. And in many cases it is not the person’s fault. If Good Friday is a normal working day (and this usually happens), we simply have to accept this situation and go to work. However, you should definitely visit the temple, say a prayer and read the relevant passages of the Bible.
IS GOOD FRIDAY A CLOSED CLOSED?
It is interesting that in some countries, in connection with Easter, not one, but 4 days off are established: starting from Friday and until Monday, residents of 15 countries have a rest:
- Germany;
- Italy;
- Lithuania;
- Latvia;
- Slovakia;
- Spain;
- Austria;
- Portugal;
- Great Britain;
- Australia;
- Switzerland;
- Slovenia;
- Croatia;
- Finland;
- Sweden.
Is it possible to work on the Friday before Easter - the priest’s answer
So, there is no strict ban on work on this day. On the other hand, it is clear that in times of sorrow, a believer should concentrate as much as possible on the memory of Christ and his suffering (passion). That's why you should do your best to at least attend church.
The corresponding commentary is given by the rector of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
NOTE
Of course, Good Friday in our country is not a weekend. Therefore, going to work is definitely necessary: it is the responsibility of every person, from which it is impossible to avoid.
And even Christ once said: “Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” This means that we cannot escape from earthly affairs, and even less should we resist the social order.
That is why the answer to the question whether it is possible to work in Good Friday, unambiguous: if you have to do it, then so be it.
What to do if you don’t have time to visit the temple
Unfortunately, life very often places demands on us, failure to comply with which is fraught with serious consequences. What should a person do who, for example, works hard? shift schedule and goes off to his usual duty for the whole day? What should you do if on Good Friday you need to sit with a sick child and take him to the doctor?
Of course, each of us can act according to our own conscience and taking into account the actual circumstances. This means that we ourselves are able to determine whether we can go to church today or whether objectively there is no such possibility.
Of course, it is important to make every effort to attend a church service. You can, for example, change in advance or even take time off or vacation. But if you really can’t go to church at all, a believer can read the canons from the service, as well as those parts of the Bible where the story of the crucifixion of Christ is described (below is again the answer of the rector Vsevolod Chaplin).
What to read on Good Friday at home
So, if you did not have the opportunity to visit the temple and attend the service, you can read at home those canons that are read in the temple on Good Friday: 
What things should you avoid on Good Friday?
So, there is no specific prohibition on whether you can work on the last Friday before Easter. Of course, it is preferable to devote attention to God and reading the Bible all day. And at the very least, it is important to visit the temple.
However, even if there is absolutely no time, it is useful to know what you should categorically refuse on Good Friday:
- Obviously, on Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Bright Resurrection itself, there is no need to get irritated or swear, which means there is no need to start a showdown. There are other days for this - why then darken the memory of Christ and the Easter holiday?
- You should not drink alcohol or host or participate in feasts or parties. If your birthday falls on this day, it is better to postpone it or celebrate it as modestly as possible.
- Spouses are advised to renounce mutual pleasures. There is no strict prohibition on intimate intimacy, but it is intuitively clear that memories of Christ and participation in his suffering do not imply any carnal pleasures.
- Of course, it is worth excluding any idle talk, gossip, lengthy arguments, or jokes. Good Friday is a day of remembrance and mourning. And any lively communication can simply dispel the atmosphere of sacred veneration of the deceased Savior.
What can you eat on Good Friday?
Finally, those who comply Lent, they know that on Good Friday it is prescribed not to eat any food until the removal of the shroud from the temple (this happens around 15:00, i.e. after lunch). And then you can eat only bread throughout the day (any bread, but not sweet pastries) and drink water. This ban lasts until Sunday night, when after the service the believers joyfully exclaim: “Christ is risen! Truly risen!” Of course, such a strict ban does not apply to people with poor health, children, the elderly, as well as those who work physically and may simply lose strength from starvation.
Thus, there is no strict prohibition on whether you can work on Good Friday, do household chores and other everyday affairs. Of course, life does not end on this day. However, it is worth keeping in mind that Good Friday is a special time. And we must do everything possible to share the suffering of Christ and pay tribute to the Savior.
Archpriest Nikolai Emelyanov answers
What can and cannot be done during Holy Week? What should you not do on Good Friday?
In the Church the question is never posed like this - what is possible and what is not. Anything is possible in the Church! Where the real Church is, there is absolute freedom. There is simply experience accumulated by generations of Christians, which allows us to somehow structure our lives in such a way that such special and holy days as the days of Holy Week do not pass by. This is not a question of what not to do. It's a question of what to do to try to feel that these days are very special.
Material on the topic
Just as the Lord once gave communion to His disciples at the Last Supper, so every Christian should take communion together with the apostles. Proceed in the same way to the Eucharistic Cup. Likewise, follow Christ to Golgotha. Also cry over Him together with the disciples and the Mother of God. Also expect the Resurrection of the Savior on the day of rest of Holy Saturday. Also enter into the eternal joy of the Resurrection of Christ together with the Myrrh-Bearing Women and the Apostles.
As always, the answer to such a question is both very simple and very complex at the same time. Simple - because there is some simple set of actions that would be nice to have time to do. Complex - because these actions require inner focus and prayer, and these two things are not operationalized or objectified in any simple way.
First- this, of course, is prayer. All services in the temple are on Holy Week special. Every day for the first three days the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is served. Before these Liturgies, during the Hours, the entire Gospel is read in parts from beginning to end.
In the evening, from Monday to Wednesday, the wonderful words “I see Your palace, my Savior, decorated and the clothes are not imam, and the stench is in the air” and the troparion “Behold the Bridegroom comes at midnight...” In Greece, there is a custom of coming to the service on Holy Wednesday in the morning to be sure to listen to the singing of piercing stichera of the nun Cassia.
Each day of Holy Week is dedicated to remembering the events that took place on those days. On Thursday we remember the Last Supper and the establishment of the Sacrament of the Eucharist. You need to prepare for this day in advance, confess in advance and be sure to receive communion. On Thursday evening, everyone gathers in the church to read the 12 Gospels dedicated to the Passion of Christ. On Friday, the day of the Crucifixion, during the day the Shroud is carried out to the middle of the temple, and in the evening there is a burial with a procession of the cross. On Saturday morning they again serve the Liturgy, at which once a year they sing the hymn “Let all human flesh be silent and think nothing in itself.” After this, the consecration of Easter cakes and Easter takes place.
Finally, on Saturday night everyone gathers at church for Easter. procession, Easter service and Liturgy, at which they again try to receive communion.
It would also be nice to have time to paint eggs, prepare Easter cakes and Easter cakes, in fact, it would be nice to somehow clean the house for the holiday at the beginning of the week...
Material on the topic
About two thousand years ago, an event occurred in the Holy Land that turned the world upside down, changing it forever. The main Orthodox holiday- Easter. On the eve of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, we tried once again to recreate the picture of what happened twenty centuries ago under the sky of Jerusalem.
Do you still have questions about what not to do during Holy Week?
Usually this is not the question. The question is how to manage to do at least half of the above. After all, there are still children, work, someone needs to take care of sick or elderly people, someone is sick themselves, etc. Therefore, usually all the things that can be postponed were tried and tried to be postponed until later these days. Leave only the most important and necessary things in order to manage at least some of the above and celebrate Easter. They also always try to fast more strictly than they fasted during the entire fast. For example, on Good Friday adults healthy people They don’t eat at all until the evening service.
And yet all this is not an end in itself. All this is done in order to try to feel and understand that Christ is somewhere very close. That His Passion and Resurrection are something completely modern and relevant. This is not about ancient history, this is about us. When you manage to feel this even just a little, then all the questions about what you can do and what you can’t do disappear.
Photo by Vladimir Eshtokin
During Holy Week - the last six days before Easter, there is a lot to do. Each day of this period is called “great” and it has its own characteristics, its own traditions and prohibitions, signs and beliefs. Let's take a close look at Holy Week and determine what cannot be done, and what will be important to do.
Since Holy Week is church calendar- this is the most mournful and strict time of fasting, that is, there are many prohibitions, what cannot be done. They relate not only and not so much to nutrition during Lent, but to correct spiritual work on oneself - going to church for the Liturgy, reading religious literature, confessing and receiving communion.
Each day of Holy Week is called Great and has its own rules, restrictions and signs of what not to do. But the list of obligatory things includes visiting a temple or independently reading at home the events that happened to the Savior in his last days in the city of Jerusalem on the earth in general.
Important! The time of Holy Week has always been dedicated especially strict adherence fasting, intense prayer. So, you need to keep everything to a minimum and give up entertainment. If possible, during these times, while leading a modest and quiet life, one should also do good deeds.
Read more materials on the topic:
- Don't ignore Lent. Even if you have not fasted before this period, at least for the last six days, give up at least meat and dairy products, eggs and fish.
- Don't live relaxed. On the contrary, you need to gather all your strength and try to visit the temple, work on your soul, and do good deeds.
- Do not spend time at entertainment events, refrain from singing and dancing.
- Starting from Good Friday, you can't clean your house. Also on this day you should not paint eggs or bake Easter cakes - this can be done on Maundy Thursday before or on Holy Saturday after.
- Shells from blessed Easter eggs and crumbs from Easter cakes should not be thrown away - it is recommended to bury them in the ground.
Important! You often come across the question online about what to do if 40 days fall during Holy Week. We studied the answers of the priests - they advise moving the commemoration to the first day of remembrance of the dead, which in the calendar comes immediately after Easter. This is Radunitsa on the second Tuesday after the Resurrection of Christ.
What to do during Holy Week
Every Orthodox believer who is preparing for Easter according to all the rules and canons must Great week take communion. This can be done on Thursday, Saturday or Sunday.
Liturgies are celebrated on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Going to church every day, after all, no one canceled work, is quite problematic for a modern city dweller. But you will definitely need to find time to go to evening services on Wednesday and Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Fasting during Holy Week and what to eat by day:
- On Monday, refrain from hot food and vegetable oil, plus the main prohibitions of Lent. You can eat fresh or pickled fruits and vegetables; nuts and honey provide excellent energy.
- On Tuesday, eat exactly the same as on Monday.
- On Wednesday, the laity are allowed only cold food and still no vegetable oil.
- On Thursday you can strengthen your strength for the next two strict days. Hot food and the use of vegetable oil when preparing food are allowed.
- On Friday you should try to abstain from food, giving preference to water and bread.
- On Saturday it is advisable to keep the same strict fast as on Friday, but if this does not work out, then stick to dry eating.
- Easter comes on Sunday, which means Lent ends and there are no more dietary restrictions.
The last week before Easter is considered Holy - in 2017 it is April 10-15, and all the days in it are great. Therefore, there are not only Holy Saturday, but also Holy Monday and Holy Tuesday. Let's take a closer look at what you can't do and what you can do during Holy Week.
Fast
Throughout Holy Week, when Christ approached his death on the cross, believers observe the strictest fast. You cannot eat meat, fish, eggs, dairy, or vegetable oil. During Holy Week 2017 you cannot sing, dance, you must go to services and cleanse yourself as much as possible for the bright holiday of Easter.
Household affairs
Every day of Holy Week was set aside for some household chores.
So, on Good Monday it was necessary to finish all the work in the home: thoroughly clean the house, wash everything, clean and paint what was needed. You can also decorate the willow. According to popular belief, if you whip your household with this decorated willow tree, you will be healthy all year round!
Maundy Tuesday was dedicated to finishing work with clothes: washing, ironing, darning.
On Great Wednesday, the last garbage was taken out of the house, eggs and everything necessary for preparing painted eggs (pysanka) were prepared.
Maundy Thursday: take a swim...
The fourth day of Holy Week is called Maundy Thursday. There are many traditions and beliefs associated with this holiday. Everything you do on this day will help you to be healthy, happy and financially secure all year!
On Maundy Thursday, according to tradition, you need to swim at dawn. Get up before sunrise and take a swim. Water at this time has healing properties - it washes away damage, illnesses and sins. The Gospel says that on this day Jesus Christ washed the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper, showing an example of brotherly love and humility.
… Get a haircut
Wednesday is the perfect time to change your hairstyle. It is believed that all evil, as well as evil eyes and ailments, go away with the cut strands.
Visit the temple to confess and receive communion. This will help cleanse the soul of sins. On Maundy Thursday, a fire is lit in churches, which must be brought home. It is believed that such a candle protects the house from misfortunes and fires throughout the year. On Thursday it is customary to bake Easter cakes and paint eggs.
... Give away old things
If you clean your house properly, joy will come to it. Don't forget to get rid of clutter. It is not customary to give old things to other people on this day - so that prosperity does not leave your home, put everything in the trash.
... Do not lend
Do not lend money or lend money to neighbors or relatives kitchen utensils. To avoid financial difficulties for a whole year, count all the money you have.
… Knead the dough
Do It cottage cheese Easter. Bake Easter cakes and paint the eggs. To make everything successful, try to maintain a good mood while cooking - think only about the positive. It is believed that before kneading the dough you need to pray, cleanse your soul and space, otherwise Easter cakes will not turn out.
Good Friday: Strict Fast
On Good Friday, the conditions of fasting become even stricter. You can't do anything around the house, sing, dance, listen to music. You cannot eat anything in memory of the suffering of Christ. In the evening, during services in the church, the Shroud is taken out.
Holy Saturday: preparing an Easter feast
Holy Saturday is the most troublesome day for housewives; everything needs to be prepared for the Easter feast; eggs continue to be painted on this day. According to signs, if an egg with a painted shell is cracked, it should not be thrown away, but should be lowered into the river.
And now, after fasting, when the soul and body are ready to accept the joy of Salvation, Great Sunday comes - Easter Day, April 16, 2017.
Monday
On this day, a lot of tidying begins. The house is cleared of old, bulky things.
Tuesday
Groceries are being purchased for Easter. Women prepare medicinal infusions. Men should not even touch herbs, tinctures, powders.
Wednesday
This is the day of washing and all sorts of wiping. On Wednesday, it is advisable to thoroughly wash, scrub the floors, and beat out the carpets.
On Wednesday of Holy Week, a special ritual against any bodily illness was remembered. It was necessary to scoop up water with a mug from a well or from a barrel on the street, or draw water from a river. After crossing ourselves three times, we covered the mug with a clean or new towel, and at 2 a.m., after crossing ourselves three times again, we doused ourselves with this water, leaving a little in the mug. Afterwards, clothes were put on the wet body without drying, and the water that remained in the mug was poured onto a bush or flowers for up to 3 hours. They say that a body washed in this way is reborn.
Thursday
On Maundy Thursday it was advised to cut the hair of a one-year-old child for the first time (cutting it before one was considered a sin), and for girls to cut the ends of their braids so that they would grow longer and thicker. All livestock were also advised to have their hair clipped for health and well-being.
On this day, Thursday salt is prepared: it is heated in a frying pan, and the salt becomes medicinal properties. It is advisable to consecrate this salt in the Temple.
Maundy Thursday is traditionally called “clean”, and not only because on this day every Orthodox person strives to cleanse himself spiritually, take communion, and accept the sacrament established by Christ.
Maundy Thursday was widespread folk custom cleansing with water - swimming in an ice hole, river, lake or dousing in a bathhouse before sunrise. ?There are many traditions associated with this day.
On Maundy Thursday they cleaned the houses, washed and cleaned everything. It was customary to collect and burn juniper branches to fumigate homes and stables. It is believed that healing juniper smoke protects humans and animals from evil spirits and diseases.
There was also a belief that eggs laid on Holy Thursday and eaten on Easter protected against illness, and the shells of eggs buried in the ground in a pasture reliably protected livestock from the evil eye.
Starting from Maundy Thursday we prepared for festive table, painted and painted eggs. By ancient tradition colored eggs were placed on freshly sprouted oats and wheat.
On Thursday morning the women began baking Easter cakes, small items made of wheat flour with images of crosses, lambs, doves, larks, as well as honey gingerbread cookies. In the evening they prepared Easter.
Everyone in the family should take a handful of salt and pour it into one bag. This salt is removed and stored, and it is called “Thursday salt”, i.e. Maundy Thursday. You can use it to treat yourself, as well as your family and friends. This salt is used to make amulets for the family, livestock, garden, home, etc.
On Holy Wednesday and Maundy Thursday, it was customary to wash all domestic animals with water melted from snow - from cows to chickens - and burn the salt in the oven, which, according to folk beliefs, gained from this healing properties. In some villages, at midnight on Maundy Thursday, women were also ordered to douse themselves with water to protect themselves from illness.
If you wash your face before dawn on Maundy (Clean) Thursday, you need to say: “I wash away what they put on me, that with which my soul and body toil, everything is removed on Clean Thursday.”
On Easter morning they wash themselves with water left over from Maundy Thursday. It’s good to put a silver thing or a spoon in it, or maybe a coin. Wash for beauty and wealth. If a girl cannot get married, she needs to give the towel with which she dried herself on Maundy Thursday to people on Easter, to those who ask for alms, along with dyes and Easter cake. After this, they soon get married.
There was also a custom of burning crosses on doors and ceilings with a candle to protect the house from invasion. evil spirits. Passion candles were given into the hands of seriously ill people or those suffering from difficult childbirth; they have healing power. From Maundy Thursday it was forbidden to sweep the floor in the house until Easter.
Friday
Cooking on this day is going well. We continued to bake and prepare for Easter. “Angels help,” say pious people.
On Friday they will sweep the corners with a rag; this rag will help get rid of lower back pain if you tie it around yourself. The same rag is used to wipe your feet in the bathhouse after washing so that your feet don’t hurt. Ash taken on the Friday before Easter will help cure alcoholism, black shaking, the evil eye and mortal melancholy.
Saturday
The last (quiet) tidy. You can also paint eggs. On this day, common holiday dishes are prepared. On Saturday they brought colored eggs, Easter cakes, Easter cakes and other items to church to be blessed. And before going to the service on Easter night, they left a treat on the table so that later they could break their fast. True, they ate little by little - only symbolically, after which they went to bed.
Based on materials from the site "Woman's World"
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