Good Friday is a gazetted holiday in India. It commemorates the final hours of Jesus' life, his crucifixion, and death, as described in the Christian bible. Being a public holiday, it is a day off for the general population, and schools and most businesses are closed.
Good Friday 2019: History and Significance
Good Friday is the day when Christians commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. This is an important event in Christianity, as it represents the sacrifices and suffering in Jesus' life. The crucifixion was the culmination of a number of events in Holy Week, including: Jesus' triumphal return to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; Jesus washing his disciples' feet; and Jesus' last supper on Maundy Thursday. The Easter date depends on the ecclesiastical approximation of the March equinox.
Good Friday 2019: Rituals
Many Christians in India attend special church services or pray on Good Friday. Some people also fast or abstain from meat on this day. Many Christians hold parades or open air plays to portray the last days and hours of Jesus' life in some areas of India.
Good Friday is a day of sadness, in which churches are empty and dark. Services are held in the afternoon. Many churches have a bitter drink prepared from leaves, vinegar, and other ingredients. This drink is for everyone to taste after the service.
Top 5 quotes on Good Friday:
> "Stoning prophets and erecting churches to their memory afterwards has been the way of the world through the ages. Today we worship Christ, but the Christ in the flesh we crucified." -Mahatma Gandhi
> "No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown." -William Penn
> "The Cross was the manifestation of Divine love without reserve or limit; but it was also the expression of man’s unutterable malignity." -Sir Robert Anderson
> "The word “Christianity” is already a misunderstanding – in reality there has been only one Christian, and he died on the Cross." -Friedrich Nietzsche
> "Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone but in every leaf in springtime." – Martin Luther
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