Easter is coming, and we, unfortunately, know very little about how to spend it and what useful things can be done for ourselves and loved ones at this very important and significant time. Perhaps everyone knows that Holy Week is the time of the strictest fasting, the time of the most severe self-restraints. We know about this, but we don’t always observe it, but we don’t know anything about the customs of our ancestors, who used this time both for self-improvement and for bringing positive changes into their lives.

So, in the last week before Easter - Holy Week - the strictest fast occurs.

Parents always jokingly “lashed” their children with willow branches “so that they would grow better.” “Willow-whip, beat me to tears. I don’t hit, the willow hits. The willow is red, it does not strike in vain!

Eat a willow bud and an important matter will be resolved. Willow branches were kept near the icon and its buds were used for these purposes throughout the year. This same “ritual” helps in solving such an important matter as conception. If a woman does not have children, it makes sense to take this advice from her ancestors. Buds from holy willow help not only with female infertility, but also with enuresis.

Drive a peg of consecrated willow into the wall of your house and get rid of cowardice and natural timidity.

On Palm Sunday, think about your loved one, he will come. Superstition? Who knows, but nothing stops you from trying.

To get married or meet your chosen one, you need to pick white lumps from a willow branch when yellow appears on them, dry them in the sun, put them in a white scarf, tie them in two knots, saying: “As I tie a scarf with a willow, so Let fate connect me with someone who is dear to my heart. So be it! Hide the handkerchief in a secluded place - for example, in your closet or wardrobe and wait for your betrothed.

Plant a houseplant on Palm Sunday and you will be rich. It is recommended to plant plants with fleshy leaves.

This whole week is a great time for rituals. Don't miss out! And remove the heavy curse, and get married, and get money for the family and increase your health.

During Holy Week, you can speak to your child “against seizures.” Don't be too quick to skip this paragraph. The modern world, with its stress, difficult childbirth and other difficulties, creates a lot of difficulties for our children. Almost every child is diagnosed with “hyperactivity”, “hyper tone”, or even worse. You shouldn’t wait for “fits” if your baby has difficulty concentrating, if he is hyperactive, if he has outbursts of anger, or God forbid, has a tendency, when he needs something, to roll around on the floor and squeal and you’re already all over it broke and no pills or psychologists help, use the knowledge of our grandmothers - there will be no harm, and the benefits may be tangible.

Take holy water in the church, read the spell words over it and sprinkle it on the child: Child’s body, angelic soul, innocent before the Savior and innocent in suffering, cleanse yourself and become stronger. Amen.

Maundy Thursday

On the same day, special Thursday salt is also prepared, with its help you can then help yourself and your loved ones get rid of all sorts of ailments and illnesses, both mental and physical, if, God forbid, they happen.

On this day, it is customary to do general cleaning, which helps to cleanse the house of accumulated negativity and find what is lost or cannot be found, and these are not only lost things, but also people, ideas, etc. Also on this day you can make rearrangements in the house to fulfill your desires.

Starting from Maundy Thursday until Easter, nothing is given from home.

Good Friday

On Good Friday - the last Friday before Easter, wipe all corners of the house with a new cloth and put it away from prying eyes. According to the beliefs of our ancestors, such a rag alleviates and cures pain in the lower back and legs (for the lower back - tie it around the waist, wipe the legs after washing).

Unfortunately, in our country the issue of alcoholism and drinking relatives has always been and remains very relevant. Our ancestors believed that stove ash taken on Good Friday helped in the treatment of alcoholism and relieved mortal melancholy.

The ash taken from the oven on Good Friday is poured onto a pedestrian intersection (cars should not drive there) with a backhand of the ash, and they read three times: Just as this ash will not sprout, and the sprouts will not give rise to petals, and from the petals will fruit, so the slave (name) will not take wine. mouth: neither on Sunday, nor on Saturday, nor on Friday, nor on Thursday, nor on Wednesday, nor on Tuesday, nor on Monday. Amen. Just as this ash does not fill with a spring, does not sing like a nightingale, so the slave (name) will not drink green wine. Amen. Just as this ash will not farrow or whelp, so the slave (name) will say goodbye to wine forever. He will not drink: neither on Sunday, nor on Saturday, nor on Friday, nor on Thursday, nor on Wednesday, nor on Tuesday, nor on Monday, nor on weekdays, nor on Holy Days. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Spray the first time on Good Friday, then two Fridays in a row. The remaining ash is also used in case of breakdowns, if suddenly you start drinking again, for prevention before the holidays when “it’s a sin not to drink.”

Also on Good Friday they tell fortunes for the next 3 months by looking out the window and noting what you see first:

If this is a young man or young woman, then over the next three months a calm, prosperous life awaits you.

If you see a family, this promises good relations with relatives and reconciliation between warring parties. If an elderly woman, then failure and illness lie ahead.

If you are disabled, it is very likely that you will lose someone close to you during these three months.

A dog means longing, a cat means profit, birds mean a new acquaintance and good news.

Do not do laundry on Good Friday under any circumstances. But they reprimand people suffering from depression, which is very relevant in our hectic, stress-filled times. To do this, three colored eggs are dipped into water, which the patient must then use to wash his face. A special spell is read over the water: Strengthen my faithful words, Lord, Strengthen, Christ, the servant of God (name). Just as people rejoice at the bright Easter, so may the servant of God (name) be glad of life. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Holy Saturday.

Great Saturday is the last day of Lent: They bake Easter cakes and make Easter.

The process of making Easter cakes itself carries great power, and if you follow the advice of our grandmothers and “speak the dough for peace and prosperity in the family,” the results will not hesitate to please you.

While kneading the Easter cake dough three times, read the spell over it: “I mix the dough, I destroy all disagreements in the family. Get away from us all at the same moment and at the same hour, disagreements and quarrels, causeless discord! These are my words. May they be fulfilled! Let it be so!". You shouldn’t tell your family about your manipulations; in general, almost all women’s magic happens in secret.

On this day, a conspiracy for a rich life is read. At seven in the evening, over a coin that is sewn into the lining of the clothes that you most often wear, into the lining of a bag or wallet, a conspiracy is read: A merchant carries gold, And as this merchant is a matchmaker and brother to wealth and luck, So am I, a servant of God ( name), not in shit, but in gold and silver. Amen.

The merchant is the archetype of a rich man of the time when this conspiracy was born, but I recommend that instead of the merchant archetype, use a modern image that is close to your spirit: an oligarch, a specific businessman who got rich in a way that is comfortable for you, etc.

Also on Saturday, before sunset, you can charm a coin or a bank card for money: take 5 kopecks. and say to them: “In the name of father and son and the holy spirit. Money for money, penny for penny. As people wait for Easter, as they go to the temple of God, so would money flow like a river to me, God’s servant (name). Holy saints, everyone is with me, Amen."

Great Saturday, Holy Saturday - Saturday of Holy Week, the last day before Easter - the Resurrection of Christ. For an Orthodox person, this day is simultaneously filled with both sorrow and joy: Jesus Christ still lies in the tomb, but everything around is filled with joy from the approaching Easter Sunday.

Holy Saturday is the only fast Saturday of the year. For those who observe fasting, this is the strictest day of Holy Week. For believers who do not fast, the last day before Easter is also significant. It is believed that it should be spent in prayer, visiting the temple and completing Easter preparations, but refraining from vain worldly affairs.

When is Holy Saturday in 2016?

First Saturday of Holy Week

On this day Joseph from Arimathea came to Pilate and began to ask him for the body Christ for burial. According to the customs of the Romans, bodies crucified on the cross were not removed, and they became prey for birds of prey. However, having received the appropriate permission, it was possible to perform the burial ceremony.

To carry out the ceremony, Joseph bought a shroud (a four-meter linen cloth). Body Jesus They took him down from the cross, anointed him with perfume, wrapped him in a shroud and laid him in a burial cave in Joseph’s garden.

In the Gospel of Matthew(Matthew 27:62-66) says: “The next day, which followed Friday, the high priests and Pharisees gathered to Pilate and said: Master! We remembered that the deceiver, while still alive, said: after three days I will rise again; So give orders that the tomb be guarded until the third day, so that His disciples, coming at night, do not steal Him and say to the people: He has risen from the dead; and the last deception will be worse than the first. Pilate said to them: You have a guard; go and protect it as best you can. They went and placed a guard at the tomb and put a seal on the stone.”

Great Saturday in Orthodoxy - services

The services of Holy Saturday retained a number of features and traditions of early Christian services, and a number of liturgical features of this day can be traced in the Pilgrimage of Egeria, written in the 4th century.

Since Holy Saturday is the eve of the Holy Resurrection of Christ and at the same time the only Saturday that falls during fasting, this day is considered both mourning and holiday. According to the customs of the most important fast days, the liturgy is celebrated after Vespers, as is done on Maundy Thursday, the evening of the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany). Also on Holy Saturday, catechumens are baptized (people who have not received baptism, but believe and want the ceremony to be performed on them). Since the concept of “catechumens” arose in the ancient church, Old Testament readings are present in the service.

According to the traditions of the Orthodox Church, on the day of Holy Saturday, the reading of Matins begins at night, but the Russian Orthodox Church performs the rite of Matins on Friday evening. An icon of Christ lying in the tomb, decorated with flowers, is placed on a raised platform in the middle of the temple - the sacred Shroud. The clergy glorify Jesus Christ with the hymns of the morning canon.

During the Matins service on Holy Saturday, a Procession of the Cross takes place, where the Holy Shroud is carried around the temple, accompanied by the singing of the funeral “Holy God...”. It was at this service that they first mentioned that “Saturday is the most blessed day.”

On Saturday of Holy Week, one of the main miracles occurs every year in the Jerusalem Church of the Resurrection - the descent of the Holy Fire. After which the Holy Fire is transferred to Orthodox churches around the world.

At the end of the Liturgy, the Easter troparion is sung, symbolizing the approaching beginning of Easter. On this day, most churches consecrate Easter cakes, Easter eggs and painted eggs - traditional symbols of Easter.

Closer to twelve o'clock at night, the Midnight Office is celebrated, at which the canon of Holy Saturday is sung. At the end, the clergy transfer the Shroud from the middle of the temple to the altar with the Royal Doors and place it on the Throne. The Shroud remains there until the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord.

What can you eat on Holy Saturday?

Until the first star appears in the sky, as a rule, strict fasting is observed on Holy Saturday. Many believers prefer to abstain from eating any food on this day.

If for some reason a believer does not fast, then on Holy Saturday it is allowed to eat plant foods, including hot ones, for example, vegetable soup.

However, according to the church charter, only dry eating is allowed on this day. That is, the food should not even contain vegetable oil. It is permitted only in exceptional cases. Until three o'clock in the morning of the next Sunday, any lean (fatty) food is prohibited. Alcoholic drinks are also prohibited.

However, the Russian Orthodox Church does not require people to unquestioningly observe fasting on Holy Saturday. Each person makes a decision independently, depending on age and health status.

What to do on Holy Saturday

According to tradition, this day is dedicated exclusively to preparations for Easter. However, cleaning, washing, ironing and cooking are not included in the list of permitted activities. Worldly chores are not welcome on this day. It is necessary to pray and rest, because people usually spend the night in church.

If you did not have time to bake the cakes on time, then when doing this on Holy Saturday, make sure that no one but you is in the kitchen while the dough is rising. It is better to spend the time of preparing Easter cakes in peace and solitude.

What should you not do on Holy Saturday?

It is believed that on Holy Saturday one cannot sing, even songs dedicated to God. Holy Saturday is a day of peace and quiet. On this day you cannot celebrate birthdays, you cannot celebrate weddings, and you will also have to abstain from sex. Men's favorite activities - hunting and fishing - are also prohibited. Handicrafts for lovely ladies are also not welcome.

As we mentioned above, no cleaning, laundry or the like. Also, you should not devote time to gardening work, construction and repairs. It’s even better to take a relaxing bath beforehand.

You should not remember the dead, but you can visit the cemetery and visit relatives.

Folk traditions and signs on Holy Saturday

On Holy Saturday you should not eat or drink while preparing the Easter treat. The cake will not succeed if the housewife is not alone in the kitchen when it is removed from the oven.

If Holy Saturday turns out to be sunny, then expect a warm summer; if it is cloudy, the summer will be cold and rainy.

Note to girls: if you don't sleep all night on Holy Saturday, expect a happy marriage. And men will have good luck in their work.

Awake farmers and gardeners can look forward to a fertile season. And all people expect simply happiness, joy, luck and health.

If a blessed egg is placed in water, it becomes healing and brings health and happiness.

Friday of Holy Week, Good Friday, is the remembrance of the Saints and Saviors. On this day the Lord Himself offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sin of the world.

All evangelists talk in detail about the Passion of Christ on Good Friday, so the services of this day are full of relevant readings.

Liturgical features of Good Friday

Removal of the Shroud

The texts of Good Friday services are masterpieces of Byzantine spiritual poetry, accompanied by soulful melodies.

Good Friday. Antiphon 5:

The Teacher’s disciple agreed on the price, / and sold the Lord for thirty pieces of silver, / betraying Him / to death as a wicked man with a flattering kiss.

The disciple negotiates the price of the Teacher / and for thirty pieces of silver he sold the Lord, / with an insidious kiss, betraying Him / to the wicked to death.

Good Friday. Antiphon 15:

Today he hangs on a tree, Who hung the earth on the waters: He is crowned with thorns, Like the King of angels: He will clothe himself in a false scarlet, Clothing the sky with clouds: He who freed Adam in the Jordan has been strangled: The Bridegroom of the Church is nailed with nails: The Son of the Virgin has been pierced with a copy. We worship Your Passion, O Christ. We worship Your Passion, Christ. We worship Your Passion, O Christ. Show us also Your glorious Resurrection.

Today the One who hung the earth on the waters is hanged on a tree, the King of angels is crowned with a crown of thorns, the One who dresses the sky with clouds is dressed in a false scarlet robe, receives slaps in the face The One who freed Adam in the Jordan, the Bridegroom of the Church is nailed with nails, he breaks through with a spear Son of the Virgin. We worship Your Passion, O Christ. We worship Your Passion, O Christ. We worship Your Passion, O Christ. Show us also Your glorious Resurrection.

Good Friday. Prokeimenon, tone 4:

Dividing My garments for myself and casting lots for My clothing.

Verse: O God, My God, consider Me, where have you forsaken Me?

Good Friday.Exapostilary:

You have vouchsafed the prudent thief in one hour to heaven, O Lord, and enlighten me with the tree of the cross and save me.

The prudent thief has been vouchsafed to heaven at the same time, O Lord, and enlighten and save me with the tree of the cross.

Good Friday.Stichera:

Thou art two and wicked, O my firstborn son Israel: / Leave me the fountain of living waters, / and make for myself a broken treasure: / Crucify me on the tree, / Ask for Barabbas, and let him go. / The sky was horrified at this, and the sun’s rays were hidden: / but you, Israel, were not put to shame, / but you gave Me over to death. / Leave it to them, Holy Father, / for they do not know what you have done.

/ My firstborn son Israel committed two evil deeds: / he forsook Me, the Fountain of living waters, / and dug for himself a broken well; / He crucified me on the Tree, / and begged Barabbas and freed him. / At this the sky was amazed / and the sun hid its rays. / But you, Israel, were not ashamed, but you put Me to death. / Forgive them, Holy Father, / for they do not know what they have done.

Today it hangs on the Tree

Today he hangs on a tree, Who hung the earth on the waters: He is crowned with thorns, He who is the King of Angels: he dresses in a false scarlet, he clothes the sky with clouds: he is accepted to be strangled, He who freed Adam in the Jordan: the Bridegroom of the Church was nailed with nails: the Son of the Virgin was pierced with a spear. We worship Your Passion, Christ: we worship Your Passion, Christ: we worship Your Passion, Christ, show us Your glorious Resurrection.

“Today hangs on a tree He who hung (established) the earth on the waters; The King of Angels is covered with a crown of thorns; The one who dresses the sky with clouds dresses in clownish purple; He who liberated (from sin) Adam in the Jordan accepts strangulation (slapped); the Bridegroom of the Church is nailed; The Son of the Virgin is pierced by a spear. We worship Your sufferings, Christ, we worship Your sufferings, Christ, we worship Your sufferings, Christ, show us Your all-glorious Resurrection.”

Don't cry for me, Mati(Women's choir. Disc “Time of Fasting and Prayer”)

Do not weep for Me, Mother, Mother, seeing in the tomb, Whom in your womb without seed you conceived the Son: for I will arise and be glorified, and will exalt with glory unceasingly like God, magnifying You with faith and love

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The Prudent Robber(Women's choir. Disc “Time of Fasting and Prayer”)

You have vouchsafed the prudent thief in one hour of heaven, O Lord, and enlighten me with the tree of the cross and save me

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Holy Saturday:

Noble Joseph(Stichera for the kissing of the Shroud) Valaam Choir

“Blessed Joseph, I took down Your Most Pure Body from the tree, entwined it with a clean shroud, and stank(incense) put it in a new tomb, covering it" Gloriously be glorified (Choir of St. John's Monastery)

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Rise up, God(Women’s choir. Disc “Time of Fasting and Prayer”) 2

Arise, O God, judge the earth, for You have inherited in all nations

Video about Good Friday

Sermons for Good Friday

Saint Luke Voino-Yasenetsky on Good Friday

St. Luka (Voino-Yasenetsky)

The sacrifice was not needed to appease God, but the terrible sacrifice was made by Christ because God was merciful and had mercy on us.

Come, blessed Peter the Apostle, and add your holy word to what we have just heard from the great Apostle John. – He also came, and we hear his holy word: “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, silver or gold, from the futile life handed down to you from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

You explained to us, Saint Peter, from what exactly we were redeemed by the Blood of Christ - from the vain life that we inherited from our fathers, from life in worldly vanity, from a life of the soul, not spiritual, in oblivion of the greatest tasks of our life.

Let us now dare to turn to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and hear from Him the words incomprehensible to the world and hidden: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; And the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world... Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My Flesh is truly food, and My Blood is truly drink. He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:51, 53-56).

This is the deepest and holiest meaning of Christ’s sacrifice: He gave His flesh to be killed and shed His Blood so that in the great sacrament we would eat His Flesh and drink His Blood; so that the molecules of His Body become the molecules of our flesh and His Holy Blood, together with our blood, flows in our veins; so that in this way we become involved in God-manhood and He resurrects us on the last day as His children.

How will we, the poor, repay Him for His immeasurable love and His terrible sacrifice - what? He Himself answered this question for us: “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Let us pour out our love and our tears onto His dead body, which lies before us on the Holy Shroud, and let us direct all the strength of our soul, first and foremost, to keeping His commandments.

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh on Good Friday

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh

How difficult it is to connect what is happening now and what once was: this glory of the removal of the Shroud and that horror, human horror that gripped all creation: the burial of Christ on that one, great, unique Friday.

But today is Good Friday - a day of great sorrow and deep thought. “Let all human flesh be silent and think of nothing earthly within itself.” On Good Friday, all humanity from Adam to the last earthly being must stand before the shroud with their heads bowed. It was through their sin that death entered the world, their crimes created the Calvary execution. It is scary to recognize oneself as a criminal, it is unbearable to see oneself as the culprit of death - a murderer. And this is a fact! All of us, without exception, are involved in this death. For our salvation, Christ the Son of Man died. By the death of the Son of God on the cross, death is trampled upon and the mercy of God is bestowed on people. Death speaks of an unparalleled deed that God has created -... The coffin, containing the source of life, has become life-giving and carries a silent sermon, and humanity is called to hear it in order to live. The word about the Creator’s love for His creation is heard in this sermon, love for a sinful and ungrateful person. Let us listen, dear ones, to what the silent Savior tells us: “For you, for your salvation, I died. And there is no greater love than that which laid down its life for its friends. The thought of you, sinner, the desire to save you gave Me the strength to endure the unbearable. You heard how, in My humanity, I grieved and grieved in the Garden of Gethsemane on the eve of suffering. The heart without words cried out to the Heavenly Father: “Let this cup pass by me. But the memory of you, your eternal death, compassion and mercy for God’s perishing creation overcame the fear of temporary inhuman torment. And My will merged with the will of My Father and His love with My love for you, and with this power I overcame the unbearable. “The sins of the whole world are burdened upon Me.” I have taken upon myself your burden, which is too much for you.”

We hear and see words and deeds of love from the tomb of the Savior. God's Love is unchangeable and Its Sun shines on the good and the evil, and salvation is prepared for all who desire salvation. She does not cease even now, but always hopes, endures everything in anticipation of our conversion. But do we all respond with love to this boundless Love? Isn’t there a desire in our time among some people to spit on, trample and even kill her, and among others to simply forget about her? The Lord dispelled the darkness of darkness that prevailed in the world before His coming, illuminated the path to the Kingdom of Heaven, but even today the enemy of God has his part in unbelievers, pagans, and sinners who do not know repentance. Just as during the ministry of Christ, his fellow tribesmen replaced God’s Truths with lies and turned into hypocritical ritualists, so now are we not repeating their errors. In words, “Lord, Lord”! and in life: “have me renounced.” Doesn’t the bitter experience of humanity’s life clearly demonstrate its continued captivity to the atheist – the enemy of the human race? The Lord has given us the joy of eternal life, but we prefer the illusory joys of temporary existence. Christ the Savior, by his feat of self-sacrifice, “deprived of the power of him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,” and the meaning of His sacrifice is the restoration of the Kingdom of God, which is perishing on earth, stolen by the enemy from our ancestors. But it is in our power to choose the path of imaginary freedom, essentially obedience to the enemy of God, or the path of life following Christ. The grace of God is inexhaustible in the Church of God.

Let us, dear ones, live by the Church and in the Church, and let us remember that Christian life is the life of the Holy Spirit. The meaning of our earthly life lies in the acquisition of the grace of the Holy Spirit. And today, and every year, in the silence of Great Heel, the voice of God sounds to humanity: “Save yourself, save yourself, My people!” The Creator recreates His creation into a new life of grace, let us recognize God as our Father, we will feel the need for salvation and mercy, and the Lord, the Source of grace, will have mercy and save us.

Prot. Valentin Amphitheatrov about Good Friday

Archpriest Valentin Amfitheatrov

Mysterious, incomprehensible hour! The Son of God is filled with internal and external sorrows to the last degree, to the last breath. And do not console, and do not grieve. The joy of Israel, the friend and patron of all the oppressed, forgotten, unfortunate and rejected, has been abandoned by all. He, the Savior, cried out to God the Father: My God! My God! where you have left Me (Matthew 27:46). The healer of broken hearts experienced the pain of strangling, bearing thorns, and scourging. He cried out with a strong cry, with tears, because he saw that it was impossible to remove suffering. But what does this pain mean in comparison with the mental suffering experienced by Jesus Christ at the sight of the heartlessness of the environment around Him? The Divine soul was incurably ill with these sorrows until the moment when it surrendered itself into the hands of God the Father. The betrayal of Judas, the sleep and flight of the disciples, the denial of the beloved, most sincere Peter, the mockery of the servants of the high priest, the senseless cries of the ungrateful mob, ridicule from Herod, mockery from the soldiers, comparison with a robber, unjust condemnation, crucifixion through the streets of a crowded capital, the shame of exposure among the self-righteously ignorant spectators, gloating, abuse of the fellow-crucified villain... Oh, truly our beloved Savior bore upon Himself the punishment and sins of the whole world. But can eternal torment be equal to the incurable disease that the heart of the Lover of Humanity experienced?

The Chief of Life, the Miracle Worker, who brought others back to life, is doomed to death. He dies. Died. He died for our sins!

The Eternal Word of the Father, which created all things and proclaimed to the world boundless mercy towards sinners, fell silent.

The sun of truth, which shone to the world to dispel the deep, dead darkness of perverted deeds and to reveal to everyone the truth of God, bright like light... and like noon, set in the impenetrable darkness of slander, even with reproaches of blasphemy. This is a terrible, incomprehensible hour! Our mortal eyes see one image of the Divine and life-giving body of our Lord Jesus Christ, a silent and lifeless body. He has no form, no glory, no kindness, he is belittled, disgusted, desecrated.

Listen and watch! Behold, the King of kings and Lord of lords has on His head a crown, not adorned with precious stones, but woven from thorns. Who wove this painful crown for the Giver of Life? Human pride, insane vanity. Oh, if we really love our Savior, then in meekness, humility and patience we will preserve the law of faith and obedience to His word all the days of our life, while the life of our heart beats within us. If we love our Christ the Savior, if the day of remembrance of Good Friday and the suffering of Jesus seems terrible to us, then do not add the thorns of your sins and iniquities to His painful crown of thorns.

Saint Elijah Minyaty on Good Friday

My soul is sorrowful unto death (Matthew 26:38).

St. Ilya Minyatiy

Humanity had to see two great and glorious miracles on earth: first, God descended to earth to take on human nature; the second miracle is that of the God-man ascending to the cross to die on it.

The first was a matter of supreme wisdom and strength, the second - of extreme philanthropy. Therefore, both of them took place under different circumstances. In the first miracle, when God took on the nature of man, all creation triumphed: angels in heaven sang joyful praise, shepherds on earth rejoiced at the saving gospel and the great joy that had taken place, and kings from the east came to worship the newborn Lord with gifts.

In the second miracle, when the God-man died on the cross, as a condemned man in the midst of two thieves, then the world above and below burst into tears, the sky was covered with the deepest darkness, the earth shook from its foundations with trembling, the stones cracked. That night was a bright night, bringing worldwide joy and joy, but this day was gloomy, like a day of sadness and sorrow. That night God showed man all the good he could, and on that day man showed all the iniquity he could do before God.

You have the right to say, God-man and sad Jesus: My soul is sorrowful even to death, for many are Your passions, great is Your sorrow. The suffering is so great that human patience has never endured; sadness is so unbearable that the human heart has never experienced before. And truly, listeners, the more I try to find another similar example in human life, the more I am convinced that His illness in passion and sadness in illness are incomparable. Great was the envy of Cain against his brother, but much greater was the envy of the bishops and scribes against the Savior; and the unrighteous murder of Abel is not comparable to Jesus’ death on the cross.

Great was the patience of Isaac when he was preparing to be sacrificed by Abraham his father; but incomparably more patience is in Jesus, Who was truly betrayed from His Heavenly Father as a sacrifice to the hatred of His enemies. Great were Joseph's misadventures when he was sold by his brothers, slandered by Potiphar's wife and, as a guilty man, was thrown into prison; but much more numerous is the suffering of Jesus, when He was sold by His disciple, accused by the whole host, dragged from court to court as a criminal. Great was the humiliation of David when he was overthrown from the royal throne by his son, when his subjects abandoned him; when his own servants chased him, when he ran barefoot to the Mount of Olives, when they threw stones at him and showered him with curse words.

But what happened to Jesus when the apostles abandoned Him, the soldiers bound Him, crowned them with thorns, burdened them with a cross, when the inhabitants of the whole city saw Him off with blasphemous slander, when He ascended to Golgotha ​​to accept a shameful death between two thieves - all this is not a more sorrowful sight?!

It is impossible not to admit that the illness in Job was great when, having lost his children and estates, he sat on rot, with wounds from head to toe; however, this should be recognized only as a prototype and, as it were, a shadow of those grave sufferings and wounds with which the long-suffering Son of the Ever-Virgin was depressed. The sufferings of those who suffered after Christ and the sufferings of His holy martyrs who imitated Him were not small; however, those sufferings were only physical - amid the suffering, the soul of the martyrs rejoiced; there was death, but there was also honor, there was torment, but there was also a crown. And the passion of Jesus Christ was suffering of both body and soul - suffering without the slightest consolation; His death was one dishonor, His torment was one sorrow, and the sorrow of death. My soul is sorrowful unto death.

Metropolitan Filaret (Voznesensky)

Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky) about Good Friday

Remember, beloved: when you and I reflect on what the Lord has done for us, we should never forget that it was for our sins that He ended up in the tomb. On the Cross and in the tomb. We nailed Him to the Cross with our stubborn and unrepentant sins, and because of our sins He now lies, silent and motionless, dead in the tomb. And when you worship Him, kiss His Wounds, do it as if you are unrequitedly guilty of the fact that He is wounded, that He is wounded, that He is tormented, spat on, covered in shame and now lies in the tomb.

Remember that we did this: both I and everyone else through our persistent sins and our lack of correction. It’s not for nothing that the Lord himself once, when he felt somehow very painfully the unfaithfulness of the human race, even exclaimed (this is recorded in the Gospel): “O unfaithful and corrupt generation, as long as I will be with you, as long as I will endure you!”* *** This is how hard it was for Him to be with us, but here we, I repeat, were nailed to the Cross by our sins and put in a coffin.

So remember, Christian soul, when you worship the Divine Dead Man lying in the Shroud, when you kiss His Ulcers, do it like an irresponsibly guilty person, because no one except us is to blame for the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Apostle said, instead of what was set before Him of glory endured this shame and disgrace, and this terrible, shameful and humiliating death on the cross. You and I know that now, after His death, the Cross has become our treasure and shrine, but we nailed Him to the Cross, I repeat, not by soldiers, but by you and me, because if our sins had not been on Him, there would have been no What should he take upon himself, then none of this would have happened. But He went to this terrible superhuman feat. Remember how the Gospel says that He fought until His bloody sweat in the Garden of Gethsemane, during this terrible prayer.

Why was he covered in bloody, terrible sweat? Once upon a time, Saint Demetrius of Rostov in his inspired sermon said, as if addressing the Savior: “Lord! Why are you covered in blood? Who hurt you? There was no Cross, no scourging - none of this had happened yet; Why are you covered in blood?” And he himself answers: “Who wounded? “Love wounded me!” Because the God-man, who loved us sinners so much, knew that if He did not accomplish this terrible feat, then our fate would be forever! - in fiery hell, in terrible, endless and terrible torment, which we cannot even imagine. But He took upon Himself all this terrible burden, this heavy burden of sin, and, thanks to His holy and great Feat, we have the opportunity to hope that we will receive forgiveness of our sins, which were washed away by Him. And then we can hope that He will accept us into the Kingdom of Heaven, just as He accepted the Prudent Thief.

Literature about Good Friday

An excerpt from the novel “Gentlemen Golovlevs” (M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin) about Good Friday

M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin

Judas and Anninka were sitting together in the dining room. Not an hour ago, the all-night vigil, accompanied by the reading of the twelve Gospels, ended, and a strong smell of incense could still be heard in the room. The clock struck ten, the household dispersed to the corners, and a deep, concentrated silence settled in the house. Anninka, taking her head in both hands, leaned her elbows on the table and thought; Porfiry Vladimirych sat opposite, silent and sad.

This service always made a deeply amazing impression on Anninka. While still a child, she cried bitterly when the priest said: “And he wove a crown of thorns, placing it on His head, and a reed on His right hand,” and with a sobbing treble she sang along with the sexton: “Glory to Your long-suffering, Lord! glory to You!” And after the all-night vigil, all excited, she ran to the maiden’s room and there, in the thickening twilight (Arina Petrovna did not give candles to the maiden’s room when there was no work), told the slaves “The Passion of the Lord.”

Quiet slave tears flowed, deep slave sighs were heard. The slaves felt in their hearts their Master and Redeemer, they believed that He would rise, truly rise. And Anninka also sensed and believed. Behind the deep night of torture, vile mockery and nodding, for all these poor in spirit, a kingdom of rays and freedom was visible. The old lady herself, Arina Petrovna, usually formidable, became quiet these days, did not grumble, did not reproach Anninka for being an orphan, but stroked her on the head and persuaded her not to worry. But Anninka, even in bed, could not calm down for a long time, shuddered, tossed about, jumped up several times during the night and talked to herself.

Then came the years of study, and then the years of wandering. The first were meaningless, the second were painfully vulgar. But even here, among the ugliness of the acting nomad, Anninka jealously singled out “holy days” and looked for echoes of the past in her soul, which helped her to be touched and sigh like a child.

Now, when life has been clarified in its entirety, down to the last detail, when the past was cursed by itself, and neither repentance nor forgiveness was foreseen in the future, when the source of tenderness has dried up, and with it the tears have dried up - the impression made by the story we have just heard about the sorrowful journey was truly overwhelming. And then, as a child, the deep night was heavy over her, but behind the darkness she still sensed rays. Now - nothing was anticipated, nothing was foreseen: night, eternal, permanent night - and nothing more. Anninka did not sigh, did not worry and, it seems, did not even think about anything, but only fell into a deep stupor.

For his part, Porfiry Vladimirych, with no less accuracy, honored the “holy days” from his youth, but he honored them exclusively from the ritual side, like a true idolater. Every year, on the eve of Good Friday, he invited the priest, listened to the Gospel story, sighed, raised his hands, hit his forehead on the ground, marked on a candle with wax pellets the number of gospels read, and still understood absolutely nothing. And only now, when Anninka awakened the consciousness of the “dead” in him, did he understand for the first time that this legend was talking about some unheard-of untruth that had carried out a bloody judgment on the Truth...

Of course, it would be an exaggeration to say that in connection with this discovery any vital comparisons arose in his soul, but there is no doubt that some kind of turmoil occurred in it, almost bordering on despair. This turmoil was all the more painful the more unconsciously the past that served as its source was lived. There was something terrible in this past, but what exactly it is is impossible for the masses to remember. But you can’t forget either. Something huge, which until now had stood motionless, covered with an impenetrable curtain, and only now moved towards me, threatening to crush me every minute.

If it had really crushed it, that would have been the best; but he is tenacious - perhaps he will crawl out. No, waiting for a solution from the natural course of things is too speculative; we must create a solution ourselves in order to end the unbearable turmoil. There is such a solution, yes. He's been eyeing her for a month now, and now it seems like he won't let her go. “On Saturday we will receive communion - we need to go to the grave of our late mother to say goodbye!” – suddenly flashed through his head.

- Let's go, shall we? - he turned to Anninka, telling her out loud about his assumption.

- Perhaps... let's go...

“No, we won’t go, but...” Porfiry Vladimirych began and suddenly broke off, as if he realized that Anninka might interfere.

“But I’m in front of my dead mother... because I tortured her... I!” - wandered meanwhile in his thoughts, and the thirst to “say goodbye” flared up in his heart more and more every minute. But “to say goodbye” not in the way one usually says goodbye, but to fall on the grave and freeze in the cries of mortal agony.

“So you’re saying that Lyubinka died of herself?” – he suddenly asked, apparently in order to cheer himself up.

At first, Anninka didn’t seem to hear her uncle’s question, but obviously it got through to her, because after two or three minutes she herself felt an irresistible need to return to this death, to torment herself with it.

“That’s what she said: drink... you vile one?!” – he asked when she repeated her story in detail.

- Yes... she said.

- Did you stay? didn't you drink?

- Yes... I’m living here...

He stood up and walked up and down the room several times in visible excitement. Finally he approached Anninka and stroked her head.

- Poor you! my poor one! – he said quietly.

At this touch, something unexpected happened within her. At first she was surprised. but gradually her face began to distort, distort, and suddenly a whole stream of hysterical, terrible sobs burst from her chest.

- Uncle! you are kind? tell me, are you kind? – she almost screamed.

In an intermittent voice, amidst tears and sobs, she repeated her question, the same one that she had proposed on the day when, after her “journey,” she finally returned to settle in Golovlevo, and to which he had given such an absurd answer at that time.

- You are kind? Tell! answer! you are kind?

– Did you hear what they read at the all-night vigil today? - he asked when she finally calmed down, - oh, what suffering it was! After all, only through such suffering is it possible... And he forgave! Forgave everyone forever!

He again began to walk around the room with long steps, killing himself, suffering and not feeling how his face was covered with drops of sweat.

- Forgave everyone! - he spoke aloud to himself, - not only those who then gave him otset with bile to drink, but also those who later, now, and henceforth, forever and ever, will bring otset mixed with bile to His lips... Terrible ! oh, this is terrible!

And suddenly, stopping in front of her, he asked:

– Have you... forgiven?

Instead of answering, she rushed to him and hugged him tightly.

- You must forgive me! - he continued, - for everyone... And for himself... and for those who no longer exist... What is this! what happened?! - he exclaimed almost in confusion, looking around, - where... is everyone?..

Poems about Good Friday

On Strastnaya (from the novel “Doctor Zhivago”)

B. L. Pasternak

B. L. Pasternak

There is still darkness all around.
It's still so early in the world,
That there are no number of stars in the sky,
And each one is as bright as day,
And if the earth could,
She would have slept through Easter
While reading the Psalter.

There is still darkness all around.
It's so early in the world,
That the square lay down for eternity
From the crossroads to the corner,
And until dawn and warmth
Another millennium.
The earth is still naked,
And she has nothing to wear at night
Rock the bells
And echo the singers at will.

And from Holy Thursday
Until Holy Saturday
Water drills the shores
And it creates whirlpools.
And the forest is stripped and uncovered,
And at the Passion of Christ,
How the line of worshipers stands
A crowd of pine trunks.

And in the city, on a small
In space, as if at a meeting,
The trees look naked
In church bars.

And their gaze is filled with horror.
Their concern is understandable.
Gardens emerge from the fences,
The order of the earth is wavering:
They are burying God.
And they see the light at the royal gates,
And a black board, and a row of candles,
Tear-stained faces -
And suddenly there’s a procession of the cross
Comes out with a shroud
And two birches at the gate
We must step aside.

And the procession goes around the yard
Along the edge of the sidewalk
And brings from the street into the porch
Spring, spring conversation
And the air tastes like prosphora
And spring frenzy.
And March scatters snow
There's a crowd of cripples on the porch,
It's as if a Man came out
And he brought it out and opened the ark,
And he gave it all away.

And the singing lasts until dawn,
And, having cried enough,
They come quieter from inside
In vacant lots under street lights
Psalter or Apostle.

But at midnight creation and flesh will fall silent,
Hearing the spring rumor,
It's just clearing weather,
Death can be overcome
With the strength of Sunday.

All the events that we heard about on Thursday from the reading of the twelve gospels unfold in the Good Friday services.

Good Friday. Removal of the Shroud. Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Sparrow Hills, Moscow. Photo from the temple-troicy site

The morning begins with reading the hours of Great Friday (Good Friday). In addition to special psalms, hymns (troparia and stichera) are sung, the main theme of which is the innocent suffering of Christ on the cross. But crucified on the cross is the One who participated in the creation of the world, and performed many miracles for people, and who will rise with glory. At the last hour, it is sung three times: “We adore Your sufferings, O Christ,” and ends with “Show us Your glorious resurrection!”

At this service, fragments from the Old Testament, the book of the Apostle and the four Gospels are read.

Readings from the Old Testament - prophecies whose contents strikingly coincide with the events of the Gospel: about the 30 pieces of silver for which the Savior was betrayed, about His free and uncomplaining march to death, unjust humiliation and dishonor.
An attentive believer in the apostolic readings will hear words about the mysterious moments of the life of Christians associated with the death of the Savior on the cross, about the significance of Christ’s feat for humanity.

The Gospel readings tell about the delivery of Jesus Christ to Pilate, about the suffering, death and removal of the Lord from the Cross.

The hours have been served, but people need not disperse too far from the temple. Around two o'clock in the afternoon there is a service, the central event of which is the removal of the Shroud (a large canvas with an icon, the image of the Lord after His removal from the cross). The choir sings troparia, the first of which talks about how Joseph of Arimathea took the most pure body from the cross, anointed it with incense, wrapped it in clean linen and placed it in a tomb (that is, in a burial cave). The second troparion, as if warning of despondency, hints at imminent joy. It already talks about the event of the Resurrection, when the myrrh-bearing wives came to the tomb and met an angel who preached to them that Christ was not subject to corruption, that He was alive. When singing these troparions from the altar, the priest takes the Shroud out and places it on a special tomb, which for most of the church year stands in the church somewhere near the wall, and at this moment - in the center. The Gospel is placed in the middle of the Shroud.

The service ends as usual and, as a rule, immediately after it a divine service is performed during which the canon “On the Crucifixion of the Lord and the Lamentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary” is read. It consists almost entirely of the words of the Most Holy Theotokos addressed to Christ when He suffered and died on the Cross. But in the last troparion Christ’s answer sounds: He died for the salvation of the created world, but He will rise again and be glorified.

At the end of the service, the people kiss the Shroud. They come up one by one, make two prostrations, touch the Gospel and make another bow.

Usually in the evening of the same day a service is held, from which Easter is just a stone's throw away. And the service is not short at all. It is a special funeral service. At the beginning of the service, troparia are sung, which were sung at the removal of the Shroud, but here an Easter note already appears, the choir sings: “When you descended to death, Immortal Belly...”. When Christ descended into hell, he killed it, that is, destroyed the power of death, such is the meaning of this chant.

Meanwhile, in the middle of the temple, the priest (and those who serve with him) stand and begin to sing together with the choir or read (it all depends on the capabilities and traditions of the temple) “Immaculate” (a very long 118 psalm), to which are added praises, texts praising the burial Christ, the descent into hell, and His victory over death. The verses of the psalm alternate with praise.

Then follows the reading of the canon, which, according to the initial chant, is popularly called “The Wave of the Sea...”. The one who hears it for the first time is very lucky. It talks about the passion, death and burial of Christ, but it ends again with hope, on behalf of the Lord it is said that He will rise and be glorified...

At this service, a procession with the Shroud takes place. While singing “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us,” the priest with the Shroud on his head leaves the temple, followed by the choir and everyone who came to pray with candles in their hands. The religious procession goes around the temple, and from the bell tower the chime is heard, one stroke at a time from the large bell to the small one.

The procession ends, the Shroud is placed in its place in the center, the service continues and at the end it is read from the Holy Scriptures, including a passage from the Gospel of Matthew, which talks about how the Pharisees placed a guard at the burial cave of Jesus Christ so that the disciples would not They stole His body. But believers, by this moment, already know that Christ has abolished the power of death.

The next day, on the morning of Holy Saturday, believers prepare baskets with Easter cakes, colored eggs and Easter eggs (a special work of culinary art made from cottage cheese), which will be blessed on Holy Saturday and on Easter itself. But this is not the main reason why believers with bundles and baskets flock to the temple in the morning. The long, continuous service of this day is the completion of the Lenten feat, this is what you should position yourself for. At the Liturgy of Great Saturday, 15 large passages (proverbs) from Holy Scripture are read, revealing to believers the story of salvation from the power of death.

The person praying hears the story of the beginning of the world according to the book of Genesis; its fullness, “omega,” is revealed in the next passage of Isaiah’s prophecy about the Kingdom of God. Next follows the story of the establishment of the Old Testament Passover, a prototype of the Passover of the Resurrection, then follows the story of the prophet Jonah, just like Christ in hell, who remained in the belly of the whale for three days. The next reading tells about the entry of the Jews into the Promised Land, this is an image of entry into the Kingdom of God. But you can enter it and get rid of death like the Jews who fled from the Egyptians and passed through the Red Sea with God’s help, this is from the book of Exodus. The content of all 15 proverbs are prophecies about the Resurrection and victory over death and that this event will cost sacrifice.

The proverbs end and after the preparatory chants, an excerpt from the letter of the Apostle Paul to the Romans is read, which talks about our baptism, it is similar to the death of Christ and the Resurrection. Together with Christ, believers are crucified and resurrected to new life. The Gospel reading, which the priest is already reading in white vestments, tells about the historical details of the Resurrection: the arrival of Mary Magdalene to the empty tomb, the meeting with the Angel who announced the Resurrection. The grief is over...

Then the believers go out into the courtyard of the temple, place their trays or plates with Easter cakes, Easter eggs and colored eggs on the tables prepared by the clergy. The priest reads a prayer for consecration and generously sprinkles everything with holy water. In the morning or at night (depending on how quickly the service takes place), after the Easter service - breaking the fast.

The greatness of Holy Week is felt even in its other name - Great Week. It was named so because the most important biblical events happened to Christ during these days.

It is located between two significant Christian holidays: Palm Sunday and Easter, but the Holy Week of Great Lent itself is filled with sorrow and sadness and is the strictest week of fasting. The bitterness from the end of the Savior’s earthly life is so great that these days the church does not perform the solemn rites of baptism and wedding.

The Great Week is called to lead a person along the path of Christ. These are memories of the great feat of Jesus, of His forgiveness of humanity against all odds and His subsequent ascension. It is during Holy Week that the last stage of spiritual cleansing and transformation occurs.

It is sometimes believed that Holy Week is not a fast, since it follows 40 days, but some people call the main fast differently - Lent. But according to church canons, Lent is one thing (the fast of the Savior himself), and Great Lent necessarily includes both it and Holy Week, which is a reminder of His suffering.

Maundy Monday

On the first day of Holy Week of Great Lent, we remember the Lord’s curse on the barren tree – the fig tree. The laity often do not understand and even condemn this act of Christ: the destructive actions of a merciful God are too unusual. But there is a deep meaning hidden in this act: God is not only merciful, but also fair. The fig tree was covered with leaves, which appear later than the fruits. Likewise, a person who is ripe for beneficence, but does not perform good deeds, and does not sincerely repent before the Lord, is likened to a barren, useless tree. Some theologians interpret the destruction of the fig tree as the destruction of the original sin of Adam and Eve.

Also on this day, Joseph is remembered - the Old Testament righteous man, who served as a prototype of the torment of Christ. Just like the Savior, he was sold for silver out of envy by close people - his brothers. Like Jesus, Joseph eventually rises, not in heaven, but on earth, becoming a significant person in Egypt.

Food

Church ministries

From Monday to Wednesday at Matins the Psalter is read and chants are sung as a reminder of the Day of Judgment. The Liturgy of Gregory Dvoeslov is held, the hymns are dedicated to the future coming of Christ.

Maundy Tuesday

On Tuesday we remember the teachings of the Savior in the Jerusalem Temple. This is one of the last days on which Jesus communicated with the people and disciples. Also on this day we remember how Jesus tore off the mask of ostentatious piety from the Pharisees.

In ancient times in Rus', on Holy Tuesday, women secretly from men prepared juiced milk from crushed flax and hemp seeds. They fed livestock with it: it was believed that it would protect against illness.

Food

On Monday, some relaxations are allowed: the laity must only observe dry eating and not eat oil. Devout believers can also abstain from food on Tuesday.

Church ministries

The reading of psalms continues, hymns are dedicated to the last parables of Christ: about the ten virgins, tribute to Caesar, talents.

Great or Holy Wednesday

On Wednesday there are memories of two great sinners: a repentant woman who washed Christ’s feet with expensive oil, myrrh, and wiped him afterwards with her hair, thus preparing him for the subsequent burial; and about Judas Iscariot, the faithful apostle of the Savior, who easily sold him for 30 silver coins. The sinner sought the path of the Lord, and Judas moved away from him, and therefore eternal glory to her for her repentance, and eternal shame to the traitor apostle.

Russian customs require that all livestock be taken outside on this day and doused with melt water sprinkled with last year’s “Thursday” salt. According to beliefs, this protected livestock from any illness for a whole year, until the next Holy Wednesday.

Food

Church ministries

On Wednesday of Holy Week it is customary to finish reading the Gospel, which it is advisable to read in full in the first three days. The Liturgy of St. Gregory the Dvoeslov is celebrated for the last time. The verses on Wednesday talk about the repentant sinner and Judas. The reading of the “Apostle” at the liturgy does not take place.

Maundy Thursday

On Thursday of Holy Week, it is customary to remember the Last Supper and how Jesus instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion - a necessary rite for believers to reunite with the Lord.

At his last meal, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples as a sign of humility and instructed them to do the same with each other. This ritual has found a response in modern worship: the Catholic Church conducts a ritual of washing the feet of ministers. In Orthodoxy, this ritual was introduced by Patriarch Kirill in 2006.

On Great, or, as we call it, Maundy Thursday, the house is completely cleaned and bathed. After this, you are not supposed to clean up until Sunday. Preparations for Easter begin: Easter cakes are baked, eggs are painted.

Food

Those who are strictly fasting on this day continue to eat dry food; others are allowed to taste cooked food and eat a little butter once a day.

Church ministries

The hymns of Matins only on this day in Holy Week occur in full size - all eight songs are sung. The liturgy takes place in the evening, in honor of the remembered events. After the liturgy on this day, foot washing takes place. Illuminate with fresh myrrh oil. The common evening meal in honor of the memory of the Last Supper has a solemn connotation, therefore a weakening of the fast is permissible.

Good or Good Friday

This is the strictest day in Lent, since on Friday the suffering of Christ, His crucifixion and burial are remembered. On Good Friday, one is supposed to mourn with Christ, therefore all entertainment, including reading fiction, is strictly prohibited. It is also undesirable to carry out any work around the house.

Church bells do not ring on Friday of Holy Week.

Food

This day is filled with sorrow. This is mourning for the Savior, so those observing strict fasting should completely abstain from food. Some people limit their water consumption. On Friday of Holy Week, the laity can abstain from food until the afternoon, until the shroud is taken out, symbolizing the removal of Jesus from the cross. But the diet should be strict: dry eating, no oil.

Church ministries

At Matins, twelve passages from the Gospel are read, sequentially telling about the execution of the Savior. There is no liturgy on this day.

Holy Saturday

On this day, the burial of Jesus Christ and His subsequent descent into the chambers of hell are traditionally remembered. From there the Savior rescued the imprisoned righteous people who bore the burden of original sin, as well as Adam and Eve.

Since the Great Saturday of Holy Week is illuminated with the blessings of victory over evil, mercy and forgiveness, on this day people take off their Friday mourning clothes and complete preparations for Easter. It is important to get everything done before the evening in order to be in time for the night service dedicated to the Resurrection of Christ. Also on Saturday, Easter food is illuminated: Easter cakes and eggs.

Food

Although on this day it is customary to continue dry eating, laity are allowed indulgences: you can eat a little butter, and a hot meal is allowed once a day.

Church ministries

Like Maundy Thursday, the liturgy on Saturday begins after Vespers. It is not customary for people to disperse after the end of the liturgy: people wait for Easter Matins, which usually begins at midnight.

Holy Week ends on Saturday, followed by the main Christian holiday - Easter. Although all fasting restrictions are lifted on Sunday, it is not recommended to overeat on Easter: the exit from Lent should be gradual.

Whenever possible, fasting during Holy Week of Great Lent is observed especially strictly. During this week, any kind of fun and entertainment is strictly prohibited. Believers who for some reason cannot fast in full severity, for example, for health reasons, should ask permission and blessings from the priest.

Even if it is not possible to complete the fast in full severity, the very attempt to observe it is already encouraged by the church: this is how the most important Christian virtue develops - humility. Remember that fasting is not just a food restriction. This is the fight against vices and passions, the comprehension of spiritual unity with the Lord. Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to limit not food, but the course of harmful thoughts.