What can’t you do on Good Friday? Clear your doubts!

The traditions involving Good friday, also known as Passion Friday, were much more rooted in the past. The Catholic Church has always advised the faithful to do some form of penance, such as fasting, abstinence from meat, and excluding things that give them pleasure.

Processions and stagings that reconstitute the Via Sacra are the most widespread. It is also common for Catholics to make promises on this day.

Older people still follow traditions to the letter. However, many young people are not very familiar with these customs. That’s why we list in this article what you can’t do on Good Friday.

What can’t you do on Good Friday?

1. It cannot kill any animal, even for food.
2. Can’t get milk. However, because dairy cows need to be milked daily to avoid developing serious infections or other health problems, many Catholic farmers milk the cows, but the milk obtained that day is donated. Thus, in some cities, it is common for groups to gather at dawn to go by bicycle to get this milk from the farms, which is offered for free.
3. Eat red meat. This category also includes chicken. The only meat allowed is fish. Therefore, it is very common for families to make the traditional codfish on Good Friday.
4. It is prohibited to carry out any manual work during the day. From midnight everyone will be able to return to their normal routine.
5. Chase ants, birds or animals that usually spoil crops. The belief says that if one does this on Good Friday, it will increase the number of these animals and their destructive power.
6. On Good Friday, the most traditional Catholics who have commerce, do not open their points.
7. On Good Friday, you should not listen to loud music or dance. But you can listen to religious songs to reflect on that day. See some songs that are played on Good Friday.
8. You cannot have breakfast. In the morning, fasting should be performed as a penance. This fast can only be broken after noon.
9. No dating and no sex. On this date, Catholics must avoid any kind of pleasure.
10. No drinking. Wine is the only drink allowed. However, it should be taken in small amounts. Drunkenness on Good Friday is an affront to Christian customs.
11. It is not allowed to participate in any party or ballad before midnight.
12. Nothing can be planted or harvested in the field, vegetable garden, orchard or garden on Good Friday.
13. On Good Friday, people should avoid fighting and swearing. It must be a holy day!
14. Some people also avoid doing household activities such as cleaning the house, washing clothes, among others.

What to do on Good Friday?

Now that you know what you can’t do on Good Friday, here are some ideas to live this day in the best way possible and reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

1. Waking up earlier than usual, to start the day offering a gesture of selflessness and preparing the heart for the Redeeming Sacrifice of Jesus.
2. It is also important to wake up early so that you can practice fasting in the morning and offer it to the Lord at noon.
3. You can also go further and have just one full meal and two very light ones as a sacrifice.
4. Fasting also on bread, to remember the Bread of Life.
5. Dress in black, symbolizing mourning the death of Christ.
6. Not turning on the TV, computer, social media, or cell phone (yes, that’s right!) all day.
7. Avoid shopping and other non-essential activities that distract us from the meaning of this day.
8. Pray the painful mysteries of the rosary.
9. Remain silent from noon until 3 pm, the time when Christ suffered crucified to save us.
10. If there is someone in your life who needs your forgiveness, forgive them this day.
11. Worship the Holy Cross, in your home or, preferably, in a Church.
12. Meditate on the verse of John 3:16: “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
13. Pray the Via Crucis (or Via Crucis) with the faithful of the parish or in private. Check out how to pray here.
14. Visiting a sick person to convey hope and faith in the Victory of Christ.
15. Meditate on the Seven Last Words of Christ.
16. Participate in the celebration of the Passion of the Lord in your parish.
17. Begin the Novena to Divine Mercy.
18. Reflect on the unspeakable suffering of Mary, praying the rosary of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady.
19. Write a “letter” to Jesus just to thank Him for all He has done for you.

The Catholic Church emphasizes, however, that the Passion of Christ should not be a reason for sadness, but for veneration and adoration. The most correct word for this day is contrition. It is a day of reflection. It is necessary to be silent because the external noises make it difficult for people to hear the voice of God within them.

The priests still emphasize that Christ’s death was not in vain, but redemptive. Thus, this day takes on a special place in the Christian faith and tradition.

After discovering what you can’t do on Catholic Good Friday, see how the date is celebrated by Evangelicals, Spiritists and Candomblecists.