Good Friday 2024: Why is Good Friday celebrated, history, celebrations and traditions

Good Friday is a day of religious importance for Christians worldwide. Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. This day is of great importance in Christian theology, for it marks the start of the Passion of Christ and preceding the celebration of Easter Sunday, which is a symbol of his resurrection.
This year, in 2024, Good Friday falls on March 29, two days before Easter Sunday on March 31.

The first mentions of the term Good Friday can be found in the New Testament of the Bible, the holy book of the Christians. The origin is traced back to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
According to Christian belief, Jesus, who is regarded as the Son of God and the Messiah, was crucified by the Romans under the orders of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem. This crucifixion took place on a Friday, which later came to be known as Good Friday.
For Christians, Good Friday represents the sacrificial death of Jesus, who willingly offered himself as a way for humanity to get rid of its sins. It is viewed as the ultimate act of love and redemption, that the Lord gave to his people and became a symbol of his mercy and forgiveness towards humans.
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Good Friday is not exactly celebrated but rather observed with reverence. Churches all around the world hold special services, which includes readings from the books and scriptures, recounting the events leading up to the crucifixion, hymns of reflection and repentance, and prayers for forgiveness. Many churches also conduct the Stations of the Cross, a devotional practice that shows Jesus' journey to Calvary, symbolising his suffering and sacrifice.
In some parts of the world, Good Friday is observed as a public holiday. The holiday allows people to visit their nearby churches, participate in mass and other rituals and make it a day of reflection and forgiveness.

To observe Good Friday, there are several customs and traditions in place and they slightly differ from one country to another. But, the most common ones include - fasting, charity, reading the Bible, visiting the Church and the likes.
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Fasting and abstinence
On Good Friday, and the days leading up to it, many Christians fast and abstain from meat or certain types of food as a form of penance and discipline. Jesus' sacrifice for his people and the pain he went through is remembered and people promise themselves to live a better life.
Processions and reenactments
In some Churches and regions, people perform processions and reenactments of the Passion of Christ. Participants dress in biblical attire and enact scenes from Jesus' trial, crucifixion, and burial.

Reading of the scriptures
Reading and meditating on the Scriptures, particularly the accounts of Jesus' arrest, trial, crucifixion, and death, are the main agendas of Good Friday. Many families and church groups gather to read these passages together, and take good lessons from them.
Charity
Just like many other Holy days, where charity and giving is encouraged, Good Friday too comes in a similar spirit. Just like Jesus gave up on his life on Earth to enable others to live a life free of sin, Good Friday encourages people to give things to others to help them live a better life.
Good Friday is a time for acts of charity and compassion towards those in need. Many Christians engage in acts of service, such as volunteering at homeless shelters, distributing food to the hungry, or visiting the sick and elderly, following Jesus' example of selfless love and service to others.