Significance Of Good Friday

Good Friday is celebrated all around the world among the Christian community. Even when the etiology of the day is same everywhere, it is celebrated by people in different ways. Do you know why good Friday is named as 'good'? To know the significance of Good Friday, continue reading.

Good Friday is the day on which Jesus was crucified. This comes before the Easter Sunday. Good Friday is considered as a day for remembering the sufferings that Jesus went through for the good of mankind. So on this day, Christians fast and pray to Jesus. This marks the beginning of the celebration of the raising of Jesus after the crucifixion.

Good Friday is considered as a very special day by the Christians as a day to remember the day Jesus willingly suffered and died by crucifixion, as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. This day will reflect all that God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ.
Read on to know more about everything on Good Friday.

Why Good Friday Is Called Good?
There are many explanations on the reasons for which the day is called good. The most popular one is that the word 'good' was considered 'holy' in old English. This is the reason why the name is given as good, where the whole world actually mourns for the death of Jesus.

How People Spend The Day?
It is considered as a time to remember the sacrifice that Jesus has done for the well-being of the world. Hence, people mourn the sad period and also no mass is celebrated on this day.

Other Names Of The Day
Good Friday is otherwise known as Holy Friday, Great Friday or Black Friday. All these names are closely associated with the solemn nature of the day. The definition in Oxford English dictionary for the day is 'of a day or season observed as holy by the church'.

Services On The Day
There will not be any celebrations in the church on the Good Friday. The only sacraments celebrated during this time are Baptism (for those in danger of death), Penance and Anointing of the Sick. During this period, crosses, candlesticks and altar cloths are usually removed from the altar.

Difference In The Traditions
Different groups of Christianity spend the day in different ways. The way how the church arranges the timings of various religious traditions also differs. Even when the whole Christianity considers Bible as the Holy book, there are minor differences in the beliefs.

Selecting The Date
The Western calculation of the day is based on the Gregorian calendar, while the Eastern calculation depends on the Julian calendar. The calculations for identifying the date of the full moon also differ.
Although the way of celebration is different in different parts of the world, the ultimate message is spreading the love of Jesus Christ by remembering the sufferings that he had gone through to save the humanity.