Good Friday is a strange name for the day the Son of God was put to death, but it is generally believed to be derived from the term God's Friday.
To mark Good Friday, I thought I would share some photos of Irish Celtic crosses which I took last summer, and review some old Irish traditions associated with this holy day.
Table of Contents
Good Friday - A Day of Fasting and Prayer in Ireland
In Ireland, this day was traditionally dedicated to penance, fasting, and prayer.
Some Irish Catholics fasted completely until midday.
Then at noon they only broke their fast by eating a piece of dry bread washed down by three sips of cold water, each sip taken to honor the Holy Trinity.
For those who preferred a little less Lenten austerity, one meal and two collations (snacks) were allowed on their Good Friday menu, but fish was recommended for the main meal.
Hot cross buns could be eaten for one collation.
At twelve noon church goers complete the Stations of the Cross. Every Catholic Church in Ireland boasts of series of images depicting Christ's journey to his crucifixion. The faithful move from station to station, contemplating each image and reciting prayers. This is a spiritual pilgrimage often performed by Catholics, but the Way of the Cross is especially meaningful on Good Friday.
Traditionally, there is no Mass celebrated on Good Friday in Roman Catholic churches all over the world.
However, at 3 pm the faithful often attend the church for a liturgy that focuses on Christ's passion and death.
Church bells stay silent. Altars remain bare.
No Work on Good Friday
In the past this was a day of rest with little or no work completed on the land. One minor task was allowed - good luck and blessings for the summer's crops could be attained by planting a small amount of grain or seed potatoes.
In preparation for Easter, cleaning and tidying the house and yard was permitted.
No nail could be driven on Good Friday as a mark of respect. Carpenters definitely took the day off.
No animal could be slaughtered, since shedding even a drop of blood was frowned upon.
Fishermen stayed at home with all vessels and fishing nets remaining idle on this holy day.
Good Friday was never the day scheduled for moving house or starting an important project.
Good Friday is not an official public holiday in Ireland, but banks and pubs are closed.
When I was young no pub was open on this day, but I believe in recent years a few exceptions have been made.
Irish Superstitions Surrounding Good Friday
Good Friday is one of the best days to visit a graveyard or holy well. On this day it is believed holy water has curative properties.
Silence is encouraged by many older Irish people. Remaining silent between noon and 3 pm is a sign of respect for our Crucified Lord, who hung on the cross for these three hours.
Good Friday has always been considered a good day to die.
I'm not sure if any day is a good day to die, but on Good Friday the Irish believe the deceased's soul ascends straight to heaven.
If you happen to be a migraine sufferer today is the day to cut your hair. Our ancestors believed a good haircut would ward off headaches for the coming year. A good toenail and finger trim was also recommended on Good Friday.
Women and girls working in the house loosened their hair, allowing it to hang down as a symbol of mourning.
Penance was practiced by remaining barefoot throughout the day.
In years gone by there were no fancy chocolate Easter eggs to be found in Ireland. Instead, eggs laid on Good Friday were marked with a cross. These eggs were then cooked and eaten on Easter Sunday. Also if you were in need of healthy hens, setting eggs to hatch on this day was highly recommended.
Those born on Good Friday and baptized on Easter Sunday often possessed the gift of healing. Boys born on Good Friday were encouraged to join the priesthood, with the expectation they would become a parish priest or a bishop.
These old Irish customs show us that in days gone by, Good Friday was not merely a day to commemorate the sorrow of Christ's death.
Through these simple, solemn customs our ancestors found a way to remember Easter's spiritual message of ultimate hope.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
Here are some other posts you might enjoy for Easter...
Holidays
- Old Fashioned Easter Biscuits
- Colorful Easter Egg Sugar Cookies
- Easter Eggs Irish Style
- Good Friday Traditions In Ireland
Blessings
- Irish Wedding Blessings
- Irish Toasts And Blessings For A Happy New Year
- May You Be Blessed With The Spirit Of The Season
- Donegal Sunsets
Sheila
Lovely photos. Those hot cross buns look delicious.
Irish American Mom
Thanks Sheila. Glad you like them. Hot cross buns are a little bit labor intensive, but definitely a labor of love.
All the best,
Mairead
Kay G.
Dear Mairead,
Easter blessings to you, my friend!
What a well written post, I love it so very much. How to write of Good Friday? You have found the most moving way to do so.
Irish American Mom
Dear Kay - I hope you and yours have a lovely Easter too. I'm so glad you enjoyed this post about Irish Good Friday traditions.
Best wishes and thanks for stopping by,
Mairead
Debra McCarthy
Mairead, once again a wonderful posting on Irish traditions. As an 3rd generation Irish-American Catholic, so many of the old traditions weren't passed along & it's so good to learn about them so I can give that "gift" to my son. All my Irish elders died off when I was still a teenager; but it was very common for Irish immigrants to shed all their past so to Americanize as quickly as possible, so even when I'd ask what we would have done to honor a day, no one knew. Our ancestors wanted to be Americanized. As a little girl growing up in NYC, I remember seeing beautiful tiled signage embedded in public restrooms/changing stations at the public beaches stating, "No colored or Irish." My mother cringed when I'd point them out. By generation 2 my family was so homogenized into American traditions that none of the Irish ones were passed on. Our nuns in school allowed no talking on Good Friday (why is it "Good" Friday?) from 12 noon - 3 pm to honor Christ's time on the cross, but that's were the similarities to your posting begins & ends. So I thank you for passing along these traditions. I particularly loved reading that it's believed those who die on Good Friday are believed to go straight to Heaven. My beloved mother, Allecia Rose, died 27yrs ago on Good Friday. It seemed apropos to all of us that a devoted Catholic like my mother died on the day of Christ's suffering & death. Reading that made me smile thinking about her passing. Many thanks, Mairead! Happy Easter to you & your family. God bless you.
Irish American Mom
Dear Debra - Thank you for your kind words about this post, and for sharing your memories of growing up in an Irish home in NYC. I often hear stories similar to yours. Many Irish abandoned their cultural heritage upon arriving in America, the need to assimilate being so great. Being Irish in America was not as easy as it is today when our ancestors arrived. Thank you also for letting us know how your Mom passed away on Good Friday. She is your angel in heaven.
Best wishes, and Easter blessings to you and your family,
Mairead
Brian@irelandfavorites
Wishing you a happy Easter Mairead, The old traditions are traditions still to those that believe in God. Many are distracted by the hustle and bustle of todays world and are quick to mock people of faith, as a leftover mumbo jumbo of their ancient ancestors. But as life goes on each day sheds light on the reality of God, from the simple reality of life itself to the intricacies of the organisms that inhabit this earth. I envy the past generations where in unison the faithful showed the reverence and respect not only on Good Friday but in each and every day.
A Joyous Easter to you and yours and I hope the kids enjoy their Easter baskets and Easter feast as a celebration of our rebirth.
Cheers,
Brian.
Irish American Mom
Brian - A very happy Easter to you and your family too. When we went on an Easter egg hunt one of the organizers asked all of the kids what is the reason for Easter. I saw my little boy put up his hand. I held my breath as he gave his answer. I was so relieved when he replied we celebrate because Jesus rose from the dead. For a moment I was afraid he was going to say 'the Easter bunny'. I think one of the reasons I started this blog was to force myself to record some old Irish traditions for my children. I hope that someday they will see these writings as a tribute to our ancestors and their faith. As you so beautifully point out, past generations truly knew the power of unity in celebrating life and God's creation.
Best wishes for a very blessed Easter,
Mairead
Sara
What a lovely meditation you wrote for us. The collection of Celtic Crosses was just the thing to be thinking on. Happy Easter from Pennsylvania.
Sara
Irish American Mom
Glad you liked this post, Sara. Easter blessings to you and yours.
Mairead
John Ongena
Thank you for sharing the Good Friday traditions. Have a happy and blessed Easter.
Irish American Mom
John - A very happy Easter to you and yours too.
All the best,
Mairead
T.M. Johnson
Although my maternal grandparents were Catholic, I was raised Methodist and had little knowledge of things Catholic. Ash Wednesday, Lent, Good Friday and Easter I knew had special meaning for Catholics the world over but that was pretty much the extent of my understanding. These days I listern to a local radio broadcast of the Compline Service from Seattle's St. James Cathedral, live Sunday nights for a half hour of quiet reflection and choral music. Thanks for this informative post and insight into the Irish traditions associated with Good Friday. And your photographs, as always, evoke the spirit of Ireland.
Hot cross buns... As children we used to recite the nursery rhyme, but until I read your post I had never seen the authentic product. When I shared your post with my wife, who the first two years of our marriage was a waitress in the Tea Room at Frederick and Nelson department store in Seattle (now a Macy's), she said: "I served hot cross buns the two Easter seasons I worked at F &N. Diners would always ask if we were serving them yet." I never knew that, nor did I know she would have one or two herself during her breaks. She never brought one home to me....TMJ
Irish American Mom
T.M - Glad you enjoyed this little post about Irish traditions relating to Easter and Good Friday. Hot cross buns were a favorite for me as a kid growing up in Dublin. Hope you and your wife have a lovely Easter.
Mairead
Kathleen
I enjoyed reading that. Though my parents were born here , many of the traditions were passed down. There was no talking on Good Fri between noon and 3, we spent them in Church. I went to Catholic school, so Holy Thurs and Good Fri ., as well as the next week, school was closed. The hot cross buns, the hard boiled eggs with the cross, all brought back memories.
Wishing you a very blessed Easter season.
Irish American Mom
Best wishes to you too Kathleen for a very blessed Easter season. So glad this post rekindled memories of Irish Easter traditions in your family.
All the best,
Mairead
Serena
Very interesting, thanks for sharing! Funny note: I had my waist-length hair cut off on Good Friday this year to donate to Locks of Love, and I had a terrible headache two days ago. Maybe it only works in Ireland? 🙂
Irish American Mom
Serena - That's a funny story. You might be right - hair cutting on Good Friday for preventing headaches may only be effective in Ireland . I wonder if you had a headache since your scalp and neck missed the sensory input from the weight of your hair - the headaches may have been related to a sensory readjustment. (That's what my husband would call a "Geary Theory".)
All the best,
Mairead