Orthodox Good Friday in Australia

Jesus' death on the cross is remembered on Great Friday, also known as Holy Friday. ©iStockphoto.com/Stephen Morris

What do people do?

Holy Friday is traditionally a mourning and fasting day among Orthodox Christians in Australia, particularly in the Greek Orthodox churches. The day commemorates Jesus’ death by crucifixion.  Spring flowers are often collected for the epitaph (bier) at church. Evening or late afternoon services are held, followed by the procession of the epitaph in some churches where the evening ends with a candlelit procession of the epitaph through the streets.

Public life

The Orthodox Christian date for Good Friday is not a federal public holiday in Australia. However parking conditions may be affected near churches where Great Friday services are held, particularly in busy urban areas.

Background

Many Orthodox churches retained the Julian calendar after the Gregorian calendar was introduced in Europe in 1582. Therefore they often follow a different Easter date compared with many western churches. Easter holidays, such as Good Friday, are “moveable feasts” as these dates change according to calendar calculations.

There are different types of Orthodox churches in Australia, including the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Greek Orthodox Church. There are many Greek Orthodox Christians in Australia. The federal government’s 2006 census recorded that there were 109,980 Greece-born people in Australia, with the largest numbers in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and Queensland. The census also showed that 100,460 Greece-born Australians are of the Eastern Orthodox faith.

Symbols

Many Orthodox Christian families prepare Easter eggs, which are beautifully decorated and often dyed red to symbolize the Jesus Christ’s blood.

About Orthodox Good Friday in other countries

Orthodox Good Friday Observances

Related holidays

• Orthodox Holy Saturday–Saturday, April 18, 2009
• Orthodox Easter–Sunday, April 19, 2009
• Orthodox Easter Monday–Monday, April 20, 2009

Other holidays in April 2009 in Australia

• Palm Sunday (Sunday, April 5, 2009)
• First day of Passover (Thursday, April 9, 2009)
• Maundy Thursday (Thursday, April 9, 2009)
• Good Friday (Friday, April 10, 2009)
• Holy Saturday (Saturday, April 11, 2009)
• Easter Day (Sunday, April 12, 2009)
• Easter Monday (Monday, April 13, 2009)
• Easter Tuesday (Tuesday, April 14, 2009)
• Last day of Passover (Thursday, April 16, 2009)
• Orthodox Holy Saturday (Saturday, April 18, 2009)
• Orthodox Easter (Sunday, April 19, 2009)
• Orthodox Easter Monday (Monday, April 20, 2009)
• Yom HaShoah (Tuesday, April 21, 2009)
• Anzac Day (Saturday, April 25, 2009)
• Yom HaAtzmaut (Wednesday, April 29, 2009)

Other calendars

• Perpetual yearly calendar - make yearly calendar for any year
• Perpetual monthly calendar - shows only one month at a time
• Custom calendar - make customized calendars

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