Good Friday (Biyernes Santo) is the second public holiday of the week and is considered the most solemn day of the year. It is observed with street processions, the Way of the Cross, the commemoration of Jesus’ Seven Last Words (“Siete Palabras”), and the staging of Senákulo, which in some places has already begun on Palm Sunday. The Baliwag Good Friday procession is the longest Lenten procession in the Philippines. Devotees in Baliwag town have produced 118 statues and scenes, carrying life-sized dioramas portraying the life of Jesus Christ. This solemn rite on Good Friday was attended by both local and foreign tourists.
Devotees lit candles as they walk on the streets of Lipa City while praying and carrying scenes of Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary.
This is just one of our many traditions during the Lenten season.
The usual highlight of Good Friday is the Santo Entierro (“holy internment”), which is both the name of the rite itself and of the statue of the dead Christ that is its focus.
Several traditional taboos are customarily observed on this day, such as the avoidance of excessive noisemaking, and in older times, bathing (except for health reasons). Children, in particular, were traditionally discouraged from outdoor play, with elders cautioning that since “God is dead”, evil spirits are freely roaming the earth to harm humans.
The ritual mourning and generally somber mood of the day gave rise to the Tagalog idiom “Mukhâ kang Biyernes Santo.” The phrase refers to a sad person’s demeanor resembling that of the suffering Christ.
What Happened on Good Friday?
Today is Good Friday, the bleakest moment in the Gospel story. Reading the story of Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion today, we have the benefit of knowing that it’s all leading up to the triumph of Easter.
Good Friday—we remember the agony experienced by Jesus not only through his death on the cross but also through the spiritual suffering he endured before that. This is a very dark day. During which Jesus’ disciples fell away from him in sleep and betrayal while he prayed alone until he was arrested and taken to be abhorred and crucified by those he came to save.
