The Good Friday Blog

Dear Congressman,

I suddenly realized that congress is currently in recess for spring break, so you are probably either here at home in Cincinnati or fund raising in a smoke filled room for some Republican cause in some far away city. Either way, it is Good Friday today and I am sure you and your family are observing some aspect of this Easter weekend together.

So, in recognition of this day I will post some religious traditions related to this day. (Kudos to wikipedia for supplying much of the info)

Roman Catholic Church - Good Friday is a day of fasting. This does not mean no food at all however, just one full meal and two smaller ones. But don't head for the backyard and fire up the grill unless you have a big fillet of salmon to swelter, because this day should be meatless.

If you are Catholic and call Manila in the Philippines home, then today you are probably going to watch the street parades and attend a Passion play. Remember not to depend on the tolling of the local church bells to let you know the time today, because they are always silent on Good Friday. This is because the churches are closed and there is no mass celebrated.

Byzantine Christian - hopefully you ate and drank to your heart's content yesterday, because fasting is taken literally here, and you are expected to neither eat nor drink anything today. Also, make sure you eat early and often on Thursday because Good Friday really begins on Thursday night with the Matins of the Twelve Passion Gospels, a long reading of all the gospels from the Last Supper to the Crucifixion.

Anglican - If your gig is the Church of England dating from the middle ages and you are lazy, then you are in luck. The Book of Common Prayer doesn't address Good Friday, and beside some local traditions or ones passed down from Catholic days, this one is not high on the list of celebrations.

Other
If you live in Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Peru, the Philippines, Mexico, Venezuela, any of the Caribbean isles, Germany, Malta, Australia, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom and you showed up at work today, then go home... because it is a national holiday and unless you are essential personnel, you have the day off.

If you are in Dublin and headed to the pub to meet your friends, well... not so fast. In Ireland, sales of all alcohol is prohibited on Good Friday. Good luck finding an open restaurant too.

And if you happen to be in England, get ready to sit at the dinner table and pound down some "Hot Cross Buns", a yeast risen bun usually with currants and the shape of a cross across the top. I remember them from my childhood... good eatings...

Anyway, what ever your particular flavor, have a healthy and happy Good Friday.