Do YOU know what "Good Friday" Means?

My Little Sister, Faith, asked me on Thursday what "Good Friday" was. I started describing Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem when I realized that I was actually describing "Palm Sunday." I had NO IDEA where "Good Friday" got its name. Here are a few online sources giving it their best shots as to the etymology.

-Online Etymology Dictionary
-Rev. Ken Collin's Website
-Biblestudy.org

The Holy Week: A Break-Down

Sunday Before Easter--Palm Sunday Apparently, in locations where churches can't find palm leaves to hand out to their worshipers, leaves from local trees are used instead. In Utah, for example, some church goers might call this day, "Maple" Sunday.

Monday--Shrove Monday, sometimes known as Collop Monday, Rose Monday, Merry Monday or Hall Monday. One tradition is to eat collops of bacon with eggs. ???????? I couldn't find any biblical significance about this day. Let's call it "Mystery Monday."

Tuesday--Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday because it is part of the traditional Lenten preparations to eat pancakes or crepes. "The word shrove is a past tense of the English verb "shrive," which means to obtain absolution for one's sins by confessing and doing penance. Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the shriving (confessing) that Anglo-Saxon Christians were expected to do prior to receiving absolution immediately before Lent." [Wikipedia] In the U.S., we just know this day at "Fat Tuesday" or Mardi Gras, the day of ravenous sinning before we begin Lent on Wednesday. The origin of "Carnival" is disputed. Some think it is derived from "Carne Vale" or Latin for "Farewell to Meat". I like that one.

Wednesday--Ash Wednesday [Marks the beginning of Lent] Job says to God: "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." [Job 42:3-6] The "ashes" are symbols or sacramentals. They are made from the Palm Crosses from the previous years' Palm Sunday ceremonies and are burned. Then, typically mixed with oil to make a paste. This paste is used by the presiding Priest to make the sign of the cross, first upon his own forehead and then on each of those present who kneel before him at the altar rail. He then recites these words: "For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." Gen. 3:19 Most of the world recognizes "Lent" as the 40 day before Easter Sunday. The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the desert, where, according to the Bible, he endured temptation by Satan. It is a time of fasting and prayer [sacrifice]. My guess is that people who don't want to get close to God in the traditional way have chosen to substitute prayer and fasting with the sacrifice of something else. The six Sundays approaching Easter are celebrated as "mini-Easters" and meant to remember the Savior's sacrifice and victory over death. In Western Christianity, Lent begins Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday.

Thursday--Holy, Maudy Thursday. What on earth does "Maudy" mean? "The word Maundy is derived through Middle English, and Old French mandé, from the Latin mandatum, the first word of the phrase "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos" ("A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you"), the statement by Jesus in the Gospel of John (13:34) by which Jesus explained to the Apostles the significance of his action of washing their feet. The phrase is used as the antiphon sung during the "Mandatum" ceremony of the washing of the feet, which may be held during Mass or at another time as a separate event, during which a priest or bishop (representing Christ) ceremonially washes the feet of others, typically 12 persons chosen as a cross-section of the community."

Friday--Holy, Good Friday or "Friday the 13th" Betcha didn't know that! Here is the long version of what happened that terrible Friday:

According to the New Testament, Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane by the Temple Guards through the guidance of his disciple,Judas Iscariot. Judas received money for betraying Jesus. He told the guards that whomever he kisses is the one they are to arrest. Jesus was brought to the house of Annas, who is the father-in-law of the current high priest, Caiaphas. There he is interrogated with little result, and sent bound to Caiaphas the high priest, where the Sanhedron had assembled (John 18:1-24).

Conflicting testimony against Jesus is brought forth by many witnesses, to which Jesus answers nothing. Finally the high priest adjures Jesus to respond under solemn oath, saying "I adjure you, by the Living God, to tell us, are you the Anointed One, the Son of God?" Jesus testifies in the affirmative, "You have said it, and in time you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty, coming on the clouds of Heaven." The high priest condemns Jesus for blasphemy, and the Sanhedron concurs with a sentence of death (Matthew 26:57-66). Peter also denies Jesus three times during the interrogations. Jesus already knew that Peter would deny him three times.

In the morning, the whole assembly brings Jesus to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, under charges of subverting the nation, opposing taxes to Caesar, and making himself a king (Luke 23:1-2). Pilate authorizes the Jewish leaders to judge Jesus according to their own Law and execute sentencing, however the Jewish leaders reply that they are not allowed by the Romans to carry out a sentence of death (John 18:31).

Pilate questions Jesus, and tells the assembly that there is no basis for sentencing. Upon learning that Jesus is from Galilee, Pilate refers the case to the ruler of Galilee, King Herod, who was in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. Herod questions Jesus but receives no answer; Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate. Pilate tells the assembly that neither he nor Herod have found guilt in Jesus; Pilate resolves to have Jesus whipped and released (Luke 23:3-16).

It was a custom during the feast of Passover for the Romans to release one prisoner as requested by the Jews. Pilate asks the crowd who they would like to be released. Under the guidance of the chief priests, the crowd asks for Barabbas, who had been imprisoned for committing murder during an insurrection. Pilate asks what they would have him do with Jesus, and they demand, "Crucify him" (Mark 15:6-14). Pilate's wife had seen Jesus in a dream earlier that day; she forewarns Pilate to "have nothing to do with this righteous man" (Matthew 27:19).

Pilate has Jesus flogged, then brings him out to the crowd to release him. The chief priests inform Pilate of a new charge, demanding Jesus be sentenced to death "because he claimed to be God's son." This possibility filled Pilate with fear, and he brought Jesus back inside the palace and demanded to know from where he came (John 19:1-9).

Coming before the crowd one last time, Pilate declares Jesus innocent, washing his own hands in water to show he has no part in this condemnation. Nevertheless, Pilate hands Jesus over to be crucified in order to forestall a riot (Matthew 27:24-26). The sentence written is "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Jesus carries his cross to the site of execution (assisted by Simon of Cyrene), called the place of the Skull, or "Golgotha" in Hebrew and "Calvary" in Latin. There he is crucified along with two criminals (John 19:17-22).

Jesus agonizes on the cross for three hours, during which there is darkness over the whole land.[1] With a loud cry, Jesus gives up his spirit. There is an earthquake, tombs break open, and the curtain in the Temple is torn from top to bottom. The centurion on guard at the site of crucifixion declares, "Truly this was God's Son!" (Matthew 27:45-54)

Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin and secret follower of Jesus, who had not consented to his condemnation, goes to Pilate to request the body of Jesus (Luke 23:50-52). Pilate asks confirmation from the centurion whether Jesus is dead (Mark 15:44). A soldier pierced the side of Jesus with a lance causing blood and water to flow out (John 19:34), and the centurian informs Pilate that Jesus is dead (Mark 15:45).

Joseph of Arimathea takes the body of Jesus, wraps it in a clean linen shroud, and places it in his own new tomb that had been carved in the rock (Matthew 27:59-60) in a garden near the site of crucifixion. Another secret follower of Jesus and member of the Sanhedrin named Nicodemus (John 3:1) also came bringing 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes, and places them in the linen with the body of Jesus, according to Jewish burial customs (John 19:39-40). They rolled a large rock over the entrance of the tomb (Matthew 27:60). Then they returned home and rested, because at sunset began the Sabbath (Luke 23:54-56).

Saturday--Holy Saturday or Easter Eve, Low Saturday [Anglicans], Silent Saturday [Dutch], Black Saturday, Sábado de Gloria [Philippines], White Saturday [Slovakia]. All masses are strictly prohibited on this day. Everything stops and mourns. I'm not sure, but I heard mention about the Polish tradition of "the blessing of the Easter baskets". I also read on Wikipedia that Yahtzee is a traditional Norwegian board game to play on Easter.

Sunday--Easter Sunday Factoid: What does Quartodecimanism mean? Answer: "A dispute arose concerning the date on which Pascha (Easter) should be celebrated. This dispute came to be known as the Easter/Paschal or Quartodecimanism controversy. The word "Quartodecimanism" is derived from the Vulgate Latin, quarta decima (meaning fourteen) refers to the very early Christian practice of celebrating Easter on 14 Nisan of the Hebrew Calendar.[11] [12] Nisan 14 is the day of preparation for the Jewish celebration of Passover. Much later, during the Middle Ages, Nisan 14 was called the Paschal Full Moon."

*Following Monday-Sunday--The week beginning with Easter Sunday is called Easter Week or the Octave of Easter, and each day is prefaced with "Easter," e.g. Easter Monday, Easter Tuesday, etc. Easter Saturday is therefore the Saturday after Easter Sunday

Non-Religious Easter Pics: