Easter Customs And Traditions - Good Friday

Good Friday is a Christian holiday celebrating the death of Jesus Christ on Calvary. It is the Friday at the end of Holy Week and two days before Easter Sunday, when Jesus rose from the dead. The day normally coincides with the Jewish Passover.

In some countries, including the UK, sometimes a single person or group of church members carry a large wooden cross, around the streets near the church, before the Good Friday service.

In most Anglican churches, there are no flowers or decoration in the church on Good Friday.

Why is Good Friday good?

Some sources believe it is 'good' because it is a holy day or even it was once called 'God's Friday'. Another suggestion is that 'good' is often referred to as a day or season observed as holy by the Church.

Other names for Good Friday are Holy Friday, Great Friday, Black Friday or even Easter Friday.

Why eat fish on Good Friday?

The tradition goes back much further than chocolate eggs and the Easter bunny.

Christians believe Jesus was crucified on Good Friday and died for our sins and so millions of Christians don't eat meat on Good Friday and Catholics tend not to eat meat on any Friday.

Fish can be eaten as it comes from the sea and so it is regarded as a different kind of flesh.

The fish symbol was used by Christians in the early Church so they could recognise each other when their religion was banned. Many of Christ's followers were also fishermen.

Why do we eat Hot Cross Buns?

Hot cross buns are seen in the shops in the run up to Easter. Traditionally a toasted spiced bun spread with butter eaten on Good Friday in the UK.

It is believed that the recipe for the buns was created by a medieval monk around the year 1361 in the English town of St Albans where they were given to pilgrims at Easter time.

The buns are a combination of spicy, sweet and fruity flavours. The pastry cross on the top symbolises and reminds Christians of the cross on which Jesus died and the spices inside represent the spices used to embalm his body at burial.