Lutheran Good Friday

Each day of Easter week is especially significant On Good Friday, all Christians remember the suffering of Jesus Christ, feeling sorrow in their souls and hearts Certain traditions in the worship of this day have developed in every church denomination, and Lutherans also have them The dates of Easter week are not common in Lutheranism; Western Lutherans celebrate Easter according to the Catholic calendar, and Eastern ones according to the Orthodox calendar The main Easter symbols of Lutheran Easter were the empty cross and tomb of Jesus, as a sign of his true resurrection The church decoration, devoid of candlelight, and the black robe of the pastor emphasize the general sadness In the church, all the usual sounds stop, the bell is silent, the altar bells do not ring, the texts of sermons are not pronounced and confessions are not accepted But special musical works are heard - passions, alternating with fragments of evangelical texts about the torment and execution of Jesus Christ The service ends with Aaron's blessing Girls and boys called minestrants notify believers about the beginning of the church service Teenagers walk from house to house, accompanying their movements with the sounds of rattles Minstrants are usually treated to Easter symbols - painted eggs Completing a forty-day fast is not mandatory for Lutherans; it is a matter of individual choice for each believer, but on Good Friday a complete abstinence from food is recommended Also, Christians should not make noise or show any strong emotions Even ordinary gatherings with visiting guests are not considered a charitable deed This ban especially concerned women; the belief states that the arrival of a guest in the house brings with her a lot of annoying flies One should not do household chores on Good Friday, which is reflected in the popular proverb about grass stopping its growth and birds not making nests on this day Even the chores for the festive Easter table should be completed on Thursday Rumor condemned housewives who decided to wash the floors and prophesied an invasion of fleas into their homes But the dawn rise and sincere prayer promised the believers God's mercy and luck