Good Friday Around the World

Spring is a season of birth. The blooming, the colors, the scents and the brightness remind us of the preciousness of life. It is also a time of Easter Celebration and spiritual observances. One of those observances is today, Good Friday – a day that is kept by millions across the globe. But what is Good Friday, and what are the traditions surrounding it?

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Good Friday is areligious Holiday observed primarily by Christians. It is the day in which Jesus Christ was tried and crucified. Countries from around the world commemorate Good Friday with different traditions. Many countries toll bells and have mass at 3pm (the time in which Jesus Christ hung on the cross). Another Good Friday traditions are processions and reenactments of the crucifixion of Christ in places such as Mexico, Italy, India, Malta, the Philippines and Spain.

In Mexico and Belgium, churches are also draped in black on Good Friday, and in Bermuda, handmade kites are flown to symbolize Christ in heaven. Fasting is also a common practice as well as the eating of the Hot Cross Buns. Hot cross buns are sweet round buns, which typically have a cross symbol on them. It is believed that Hot Cross Buns baked on Good Friday never go moldy.

There are many traditions for this day, but one thing that makes Good Friday such a unique day is that even though it is a day of solemnity, sadness and reflection, it is only three days before a celebration of a completely different nature – Easter Sunday – the day of Jesus Christ’s resurrection.

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Even for those who do not partake with these beliefs and traditions Good Friday and Easter Sunday carry with them a powerful message. A message that so appropriately coincides with the Spring season. Spring is a season in which we see the world around us come to life again. Good Friday, and Spring in general is a time in which one can reflect on the challenging moments in life that are often filled with gloom and despair, and to remember that a better day is never too far away.