Orthodox Church Marks Good Friday

Today marks Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, a day when Orthodox Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary in approximately AD 33.

Because of the penitence and sorrow associated with the Crucifixion of Jesus, the Divine Liturgy is never celebrated on Good Friday.

This is the hardest day of the Great Lent that precedes Easter. Some believers receive the blessing of the priests not to eat anything during the day, some have only bread and water.

Eggs are painted red and Paska, special Easter bread symbolizing Golgotha, the mountain where Christ was crucified, is made on this day.

The egg is a symbol of eternal life, as living beings are born from them. The red color symbolizes blood, as Jesus Christ blessed the living with his blood.

By Ana Dumbadze