Good Friday: what not to do? What you can't and can't do on Good Friday.
This year Good Friday will fall on April 6th. As soon as this day appeared on the calendar, it means that in two days the biggest holiday for every Orthodox person is Easter. But for now we need to properly spend the most mournful day of the year - Good Friday.
Signs and customs of Good Friday 2018 are special. Because this day itself is special; many centuries ago, Jesus Christ was crucified on Friday. The Savior accepted martyrdom to cleanse people from their sins.
The customs of Good Friday 2018 are associated with church rituals. On this day there is no liturgy, but the Gospel is read. In the middle of the day - at 15.00 (it was at this time that Jesus Christ was crucified, according to church books) the Shroud is brought to the center of the temple.
The Shroud is a plate on which there is an image of Jesus Christ in full height. The Savior lies in the coffin. The shroud is placed in the center of the temple on a raised platform, and the place is decorated with flowers and candles. It is believed that this church custom imitates the removal of Christ from the cross and his burial in a cave, saying goodbye to the body of the Lord. 
What not to do on Good Friday:
* Before the shroud is removed, you must abstain from eating and even drinking. After taking it out, you can drink water and eat bread, but many believers try to observe strict fasting all day long. There was a popular belief that if you drink water before lunch on Good Friday, then throughout the year a person will be tormented by thirst and will not be able to quench it.
* On the day, you must refrain from household chores. It is prohibited to sew, wash, or cut anything. Violation of this prohibition is considered a great sin, which can bring disaster upon oneself. People who strictly observe Lent also do not wash on this day.
* You cannot sing, walk or have fun on this day of mourning. If you allow yourself a riotous lifestyle on Good Friday, then throughout the year a person will shed tears.
* On this day, despite the fact that it is mournful, you can prepare for a big holiday, Easter.
* We must try to give up physical work in the garden and vegetable garden. It is forbidden to stick iron objects into the ground, in particular rakes and shovels. This will spell trouble. If any plants are planted on Good Friday, they will die. The exception is parsley. Parsley planted on this day will give a double harvest! 
Good Friday - signs:
* If you bake a loaf of bread on this day, it will never become moldy and is considered healing. Such bread, as the people believed, could cure illness.
* Transporting bees should be done on any other day, but not on this one. Because bees transported on Good Friday will die.
* If it is cloudy on this day, then the bread this year will be with weeds.
* If the sky is starry on Good Friday, then the wheat will please you with its graininess.
* Easter baked goods, which can be stored from the current Good Friday until the next Good Friday, can prevent whooping cough
* If a baby is weaned on this day, the child will be strong and healthy and will live a long and happy life.
The signs for Good Friday are very difficult to count. After all, they took shape not even over years, but over centuries. On this day in Rus' it was also customary to determine whether there were spoken things in the house. To do this, you need to bring from the church the candle with which the person stood during the service. Light a candle at home and walk through the rooms with it. If a candle crackles somewhere, it means there is a damaged item in that room.
To bring happiness and prosperity to your home for the next twelve months, you can bring into your home 12 burning candles that were in the church. In the house they should burn to the ground.
Time is dedicated to mournful and sad memories of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It is during this period of time that the strictest fast is observed.
What kind of day is this - Good Friday? What can't be done and what can you do? What signs should be observed on this day and what its history is, we will consider in our article.
A little history
As the Bible says, it was on this day that Jesus Christ appeared before the highest religious court - the Sanhedrin for his righteous deeds. The verdict is execution. However, without support, the court could not carry out its plans. By turning to him, the officials hoped that the Jewish prosecutor would support them. However, he did not consider it necessary to execute Jesus on the eve of Easter. The crowd had its say, angrily insisting on the release of the criminal Barabbas, and not the righteous Jesus. In this regard, Pontius had no choice but to agree with the Sanhedrin officials and agree to the execution. As a sign of his innocence, he demonstratively washed his hands.
On the same day, Jesus was given several dozen blows with a whip, and then forced to carry a heavy wooden cross to Golgotha, where his crucifixion took place.
One of Christ’s disciples asked Pontius to give him the body of the murdered man. He took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb. This is how the day called Good Friday was born.
What not to do on this mournful day
All beliefs, customs and signs are connected specifically with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Everything on this day should be associated with sorrow and suffering, with torment and torment.
So what should you not do on Good Friday before Easter? Under no circumstances should you practice. There is a specially designated day for this - Maundy Thursday, in which people are supposed to do different jobs. Especially on Good Friday you can't do laundry.
They say that it is during this period that red spots resembling blood may appear during washing. You should also not cut, dig, plant or pierce the ground.
People who were planning a celebration, wedding, or entertainment for this day should better postpone the fun until later. favorable time because this is a huge sin. What else can Good Friday tell us? What should you not do on this day? There is no need to talk loudly or laugh. After all, this period is associated with grief and sadness.
From Thursday evening you should not eat food, and you should also refrain from drinking. It is believed that if you do not drink water on this day, then any liquid will benefit your health throughout the year.
If you are interested in the question of what you cannot do on Good Friday and Saturday, know: it is forbidden to transport bees, otherwise the likelihood that they will all die is quite high.
What to do on Good Friday
Many believe that this period is a time of prohibition. No. On this day, there are certain customs that will help with many problems. So, we figured out what you can’t do on Good Friday, but what can you do on this day?
During this period, it is allowed to plant parsley in the garden. It is believed that this herb is a plant of fortune tellers. It brings passion, love, understanding, as well as a good harvest.
If you dry parsley leaves and place them in bags, this will be an excellent protection against negative and magical influence during the whole year.
If you bake a muffin on Good Friday and store it until next Easter, you can cure whooping cough.
On this day, it is also customary to treat relatives, friends, acquaintances and even the poor with baked goods, cottage cheese, milk, eggs, do more good deeds and give alms.
Customs
What other activities does Good Friday involve? What can't be done and what can you do?
It is believed that it is on this day that the mother should wean the baby. The baby will be strong, healthy, happy, and also protected from external influence throughout life.
The next tradition is pagan. If you burn fires on the hills on this day, you can protect your crops from fires throughout the year. And the young people, who ride horses with torches and brooms throughout the village, scare away evil spirits.
There is a custom thanks to which you can free your home from negativity, failure and poverty. To do this, after the service you should purchase 12 candles and take them home. Light them there and let them burn to the end.
Try to defend the whole thing with a candle in your hands, and when finished, extinguish it and bring the rest home. Light it and walk around the entire room, paying close attention to every object. The thing over which the candle begins to crackle is enchanted. It is urgent to get rid of it.
If you are concerned about what you cannot do on Good Friday and Saturday, remember: do not drink alcoholic beverages or indulge in physical pleasures, because this is a great sin. It is believed that people who drink heavily on such a day run the risk of becoming alcoholics for the rest of their lives.
There is a belief that a child conceived on Good Friday will be born sick. The peasants believed that if his health still failed him, then he was destined to become a murderer.
Many people are interested in: “What should you not do on Good Friday before Easter?” It is not allowed to spit on this day, otherwise a person risks becoming an outcast. It is also believed that all saints will turn away from him.
The peasants believed that if you wake up in the morning and look out the window without talking to anyone, you can find out your fate. For example, if a girl sees a bird, this means an acquaintance; for a guy, this is good news. If you see a dog first, it means unhappiness and sadness. If a cat appears, it means wealth and good luck. If a sick person passes by, it means illness or loss.
Signs
What else can Good Friday tell us? What not to do? The signs described below will help answer this question.
If the weather is cloudy on Good Friday, then the bread will grow with the weeds.
On this day starry sky? Expect a good harvest.
If you laugh on Good Friday, you'll cry all year long
Ash taken from the oven on Good Friday will relieve alcoholism.
If on this day you wipe all the corners with a rag and hide it away from prying eyes, you can get rid of problems associated with the lower back. To do this, wrap it around the sore spot.
A cut piece of Easter cake, which is prepared for the Easter holiday, hidden behind the icons, will protect you from evil and the evil eye.
Easter cake will not go stale throughout the year.
Conclusion
Of course, this day seems creepy and scary to many. Don't panic! If you do everything correctly on Good Friday, you can not only ward off poverty and misfortune, but also invite good luck and prosperity. Happy easter!
Good Friday, which is included in the most strict and mournful week of Lent, is also called Good Friday. This day received this name due to the fact that it was on Friday, somewhere around lunchtime, that Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross. On Good Friday, Orthodox Christians around the world remember the events of this day.
Since this day is the saddest during Lent, many are wondering: Good Friday in 2017, what not to do. There are actually many prohibitions and they affect different areas of human life.
First of all, it is necessary to emphasize once again that on this day we need to pray and think about our own life, remember not only the suffering of Christ, but also why he went through this suffering.
In 2017, this Friday falls on April 14th. Good Friday in 2017 is the most mournful day in the Christian year and it always falls two days before the Bright Resurrection of the Lord or Easter. On this day, Jesus Christ accepted martyrdom on the cross for human sins. This is a day of mourning and even the vestments of priests should not be light.
Good Friday 2017, what not to do
On this mourning day can't work. Of course, this does not mean that all believers should take time off from work. But the work that can be limited or not done is better postponed to another time. Also on this day sewing, cleaning and washing are prohibited. There are even popular belief, that if you wash clothes on Good Friday, then when they dry, bloody stains will appear on them.
On this day also you can’t garden, plant plants, or swim. A special ban applies to sticking iron equipment, such as rakes or shovels, into the ground. If a person violates the ban, then great misfortune awaits him. All these prohibitions exist not for relaxation, but so that a believer has time that he should spend with his family reading the Bible on the eve of the holiday.
Good Friday, what not to do 2017 is still sing and laugh, lead an active lifestyle and just have fun. Also You can’t quarrel, shout at each other and swear. The day should be spent reflecting on the suffering of Jesus Christ.
The people believed that from the moment when the body of Christ was placed in the tomb until the moment of his resurrection, evil spirits had especially strong power and felt impunity. She comes into the world and scares righteous people. If a person sees something passionate on this day, he must say three times: “May God rise again and be wasted against him.” This will protect you from evil forces. You cannot fall asleep while reading the holy scriptures, because an unclean spirit can take you to hell.
Good Friday is considered the saddest day of Holy Week. According to history, it was on Friday that Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross. The date got its name from the expression “The Passion of Christ.” Friday prayer considered the longest.
Good Friday 2018: What to do, history, customs and signs
Of course, on Good Friday, the first thing you should do is go to the Divine Liturgy. Candles brought home from the temple can be left in the house to burn out. According to beliefs, their light will rid your home of evil spirits and bring prosperity.
On Good Friday you cannot swear or wish harm on anyone. It is also better to refrain from hard work. All housework had to be completed on Maundy Thursday. Now cleaning should not be done until Easter.
What day is it today? church calendar: 2018
It is also not customary to hold feasts, have fun, or celebrate anything. For Christians, Good Friday is mourning. Don't embroider or cut today. Bread can only be broken. Refrain from alcohol and carnal pleasures.
Bread baked on Good Friday becomes a talisman against illness.
On Good Friday you should devote yourself to prayer, reflection and the Gospel.
Jesus Christ suffered on this day, so you need to adhere to strict rules of behavior. For example, liturgies are not held in churches, and priests wear a mourning cassock instead of the light one in which they usually serve.
Good Friday precedes Easter and commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ.
Friday - this is the day on which Jesus Christ was crucified. Therefore, Good Friday is dedicated to the remembrance of the trial of Jesus Christ, his crucifixion and death on the cross on Calvary, the removal of His body from the cross and burial. The Good Friday service includes three readings of the Gospel account of these events.
At Matins, the Twelve Gospels are read sequentially - twelve Gospel passages that chronologically tell about the events of Friday. At the Great (Royal) Hours, the narratives of each of the four evangelists (Matthew, John, Luke and Mark) are read separately. And at Great Vespers, one long composite gospel tells about the events of this day.
Good Friday is an exceptional day, and its exclusivity (like the exclusivity of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary) is emphasized by the fact that the liturgy is not celebrated on this day. However, if Good Friday coincides with the Annunciation, the Liturgy of John Chrysostom is served. At Vespers, a special canon “On the Crucifixion of the Lord” is sung and the shroud is brought out.
The Shroud is a cloth on which the Lord Jesus Christ is depicted in full size, lying in the tomb. After removal, the Shroud is installed on a special elevation in the center of the temple. It is customary to anoint it with incense and decorate it with flowers in memory of how the myrrh-bearing women anointed the Body of the buried Christ with incense...
Good Friday is a special day on which, according to the rules, one must abstain from eating until the Shroud is taken out, and after that one can only eat bread and drink only water. All preparations for the Easter holiday must be completed on Maundy Thursday, so that on Good Friday nothing distracts from prayers and services.
On Good Friday it is not customary to sing, walk and have fun - it is believed that a person who had fun on Good Friday will cry all year. However, despite the fact that the service on this day is permeated with sorrow, it is already preparing believers for the upcoming holiday of the Resurrection of Christ.
In the popular consciousness, Good Friday is associated with a number of signs and superstitions. It is believed, for example, that bread baked on this day will never become moldy and will heal from all diseases. Sailors considered bread baked on Good Friday to be a talisman against shipwrecks. And a hot cross bun baked on this day will protect the house from fires until next Good Friday.
It is highly undesirable to work on Good Friday. So, according to the superstition, you cannot stick iron objects into the ground, for example, shovels and rakes: this will lead to trouble. Therefore, plants planted on this day will die. Only parsley sown on Good Friday will yield a double harvest. Clothes washed by the housewife and hung out to dry on Friday will never become clean: bloody stains will appear on the linen.
After Friday service, it is customary to bring into the house twelve burning candles with which they stood in the church. Candles should be placed in the house and allowed to burn out until the end. It is believed that this will bring happiness and prosperity to the home for the next twelve months.
Of course, many signs came from paganism, and not from Christianity, and some of them even contradict Christian traditions. But to believe in omens or not is a personal choice for each person. Good Friday is another reason to pause in our busy lives and think: is this how we live?
Signs of Good Friday
A loaf of bread baked on Good Friday cures all illnesses and never goes moldy.
On Good Friday, under no circumstances should you pierce the ground with iron; whoever does this will be in trouble.
If washed clothes are hung out to dry on Good Friday, blood stains will appear on them.
If bees are transported on any day other than Good Friday, they will certainly die.
If you are thirsty on Good Friday, no drink will harm you for a whole year.
Rings blessed on Good Friday protect the wearer from all illnesses.
Easter bread saved from one Good Friday to the next prevents whooping cough.
Only parsley sown on Good Friday gives a double harvest.
If it is cloudy on Good Friday, then the bread will be covered with weeds. If it is dawn on Good Friday, then the wheat will be grainy.
What is it better to abstain from on Good Friday?
Not worth it:
1. Do cleaning and other chores around the house. You cannot sew, cook, garden, etc. The house must be cleaned on Maundy Thursday.
2.Sorting things out. Of course, you should never swear, but on Good Friday, scolding and reproaches are especially terrible sin. The scandals that occurred on this day are the hardest to smooth over later.
3. You can't eat too much. Good Friday is the last day of Lent before Easter, and it is the strictest of all. Orthodox people who adhere to traditions do not eat anything on Good Friday, but an exception is made for the sick and weak; they simply should not consume much food. You can refrain from eating meat, fish, and milk.
4. Drink alcohol, make noise. Alcohol is generally not acceptable for a believer; drinking on Good Friday is doubly bad. Also refrain from parties and noisy entertainment on this day. It is believed that whoever laughs on this day will cry all year.
5. Take care of plants and flowers. It is believed that vegetation planted on Good Friday will quickly wither and die. It’s up to you to believe in it or not, but you should definitely refrain from dacha work. The only exception may be dill or some other greenery planted on the windowsill.
What you can and should do on Good Friday
Spend this day thinking about your life, about Jesus Christ, about what he had to endure.
- Food is best consumed after three o'clock in the afternoon, usually only water with bread.
Good Friday doesn't have to be like an ordinary day, spend it reflecting on your past and future.
