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Easter: See How ‘Good Friday’ Is Marked In Rome, Central America, Others

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As the Easter Holidays kick off today, which is known in Nigeria as good Friday, countries around the world have their unique names and ceremonies to mark the season.

The week leading up to Easter is called Holy Week. It begins with Palm Sunday and ends on Holy Saturday, but each day in between comes with its own name and celebrations

Rome

In Rome, Pope Francis leads the Way of The Cross at the Colosseum on April 3, 2015, in Rome.

In this city, the Friday before Easter is called “Venerdì Santo,” meaning Holy Friday, the day Jesus Christ was crucified.

Many Italians choose to fast or eat a diet consisting of only fish on this day. To observe the Catholic Church’s day of mourning, every statue and cross in churches is covered by a black or purple cloth.

Rome’s largest Good Friday event, known as “Way of the Cross” or “Stations of the Cross,” is a solemn torchlight procession led by the Pope.

The crowd visits each of the 14 “stations of the cross,” each symbolizing a part of Jesus’ passion and death. The procession begins at the Colosseum and ends at Palatine Hill.

Jerusalem

In Jerusalem, where Christians across the world look forward to visiting, every year, Orthodox Christian pilgrims hold wooden crosses as they take part in the Good Friday procession along the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is where Jesus’ crucifixion took place, according to the Bible. Therefore, it makes sense that Good Friday is a highly spiritual and ritualistic holiday for the city.

Traditions include a pilgrimage in which individuals, many of whom carry crosses, retrace the steps Jesus took on his way to the cross. The route leads to Golgotha, also known as the Place of the Skull, where Jesus met his death.

Following the pilgrimage, there is an evening funeral procession in which participants will reenact the burial of Jesus.

Jamaica

Jamaican Good Friday tradition involves cracking an egg before sunrise.

This time of year might remind you of dyeing eggs bright colors. Jamaicans have a different use for eggs during their celebration of Good Friday.

This tradition involves cracking an egg and separating its yolk from its white. Before sunrise, they will pour the egg white into a glass of water. As the sun’s heat warms the glass, patterns will form from the egg. In the past, Jamaican elders believed the pattern revealed how you would die.

London

The Wintershall players perform “The Passion of Jesus” in front of crowds in Trafalgar Square.
London’s Trafalgar Square puts on a free open-air play every year on Good Friday.

“The Passion of Jesus” is performed by a mixture of both amateur and professional Christian actors who take their audience on a journey from Jesus’ arrest to his resurrection on Easter.

The cast comprises more than 100 performers as well as several animals.
As the show features a realistic portrayal of the crucifixion, parental guidance is suggested.

Central America

An artist creates Alfombras in Nicaragua. Countries such as Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala in Central America use art to celebrate Good Friday.

Artists usually lined the streets with Alfombras, Spanish for “rug.” Created using colorful sawdust, their subjects often are either religious or nature-focused.
In order to take in their beauty, you must observe the Alfrombras before any Good Friday processions commence, as they will be washed away by the flood of the crowd’s feet.

Two days before the joyous celebration of Easter Sunday, Good Friday provides an outlet for Christians to express their remembrance of Jesus’ death.

Nigeria

In Nigeria, Naija News reports that most Christians go to church on good Friday, while reminding themselves of the death of Christ by listening to a solemn sermon.

The Celebrations also differ according to denominations; the Methodists, Catholics, the Pentecostals, etc