September 20, 2026 09:12 pm (IST)
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India observes Good Friday
New Delhi, Apr 18 (IBNS): The Christian community across the world, with no exception in India, on Friday observed Good Friday amid prayers and parades to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary.
Good Friday is a day of sadness and is observed as a religious holiday.
On this day, churches remain empty and dark with services held in the afternoon.
Many churches have a bitter drink prepared from leaves, vinegar and other ingredients to mark the occasion. This drink is for everyone to taste after the service.
People attend these services to pray on this day and later, many dedicated followers in some parts of India hold parades or open air plays to portray the last days and hours of Jesus' life.
The day is observed during a Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of Passover. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Black Friday, or Easter Friday, though the latter properly refers to the Friday in Easter week.
Based on the details of the Canonical gospels, the crucifixion of Jesus was most likely to have been on a Friday. The estimated year of the crucifixion is AD 33, by two different groups, and originally as AD 34 by Isaac Newton via the differences between the Biblical and Julian calendars and the crescent of the moon.
The Catholic Church treats Good Friday as a fast day, which in the Latin Rite of the Church is understood as having only one full meal (but smaller than a regular meal) and two collations (a smaller repast, two of which together do not equal one full meal) and on which the faithful abstain from eating meat.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
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