GOOD Friday is a Christian holiday, marking the crucifixion of Jesus, but it is marked in a variety of different ways depending on where you are in the world.

 

Why is it called Good Friday?

Since the early days of Christianity, the Friday before Easter is traditionally the day upon which Christians observe the commemoration of the crucifixion. The day of sorrow, fasting and penance may not instantly bring the word 'good' to mind, but a variety of reasons have been put forward as to why it is named so, including that it is a corruption of ‘God’s Friday’.

 

However?

It has also been suggested it chimes with days in which religious observance is held, with the ‘good’ referring to a day ‘observed as holy by the church’, along the lines of the greetings ‘good tide’ at Christmas or ‘the good book’ referencing the Bible. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the earliest known use of ‘guode friday’ is found in The South English Legendary, a text from around 1290.

 

So how is it celebrated?

Christians around the world commemorate the day by following 14 ‘stations of the cross’ that mark the journey of Jesus toward his crucifixion, with some simply attending church services and others following public dramas such as the Oberammergau Passion in Bavaria. Staged every 10 years from 1634, villagers re-enact the passion, meeting a pledge they made to do so if God ‘spared them from the plague’. It was cancelled during the pandemic, but returns this year.

 

Other traditions?

In Iztapalapa, a suburb of Mexico City, a week-long re-enactment of the Passion takes place, with its origins back in the mid-19th century, drawing two million visitors who witness the drama unfold. One man plays Jesus and goes as far as to sport a crown of thorns and be flogged in the streets while carrying a 200lb cross.

 

The most famous observance?

This is likely to be the Way of the Cross - Via Dolorosa - which takes place through the Old City of Jerusalem, representing the path Jesus would have taken on the way to his death.  It is marked by stations of the cross and is a celebrated place of pilgrimage. And in Rome, the Pope will preside over the liturgy of the Lord’s Passion in St. Peter’s Basilica, before leading a pilgrimage to the Colosseum. For the past two years, the Pope’s Good Friday Way of the Cross was held in St. Peter’s Square because of the Covid-19 emergency, but the candle-lit event is returning to its usual site in 2022.

 

Elsewhere?

In Bermuda, residents make and fly their own kites to mark the ascension of Christ to heaven, before celebrating with a feast of cod fishcakes and hot cross buns. Good Friday parties are usually held across the country, with kites flying overehead and even “repair areas” set up in parks, with glue and tape available to patch up any kite damage. 

 

And in the Philippines? 

In Pampanga, between three and 12 men are nailed to a cross each Good Friday to recreate the crucifixion, although it has just been announced officials have cancelled the events this year due to the pandemic, with the general public are encouraged to observe Holy Week by attending masses and other religious services and activities.