Today, Orthodox Christians in Georgia and around the world observe Good Friday, known locally as Didi Paraskevi or Tsiteli Paraskevi (Red Friday), one of the most solemn and sacred days in the Christian calendar. The day commemorates the crucifixion, death, and burial of Jesus Christ and is marked by intense fasting, deep reflection, and special religious services.
Good Friday is considered the strictest day of fasting in the Orthodox year. With the blessing of priests, many believers refrain from all food throughout the day, while others limit themselves to bread and water, in remembrance of Christ’s suffering and sacrifice.
Unlike other days, the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated. Instead, churches conduct the Liturgy of the Hours, which includes the reading of the Gospel accounts of Christ’s passion. At approximately 2:00 p.m., coinciding with the traditional hour of Christ’s death on the cross, the Good Friday service known as the Removal from the Cross is held.
In Georgian Orthodox churches, the central part of the temple is prepared with a flower-adorned platform symbolizing Christ’s tomb, referred to as the Saplavi. A specially embroidered cloth icon depicting the body of Jesus in the tomb is brought out from the altar during the service.
Accompanied by solemn hymns and prayers – including the poignant troparion “The Noble Joseph took down Your most pure body from the tree…”—priests dressed in black vestments remove the icon from the altar, symbolizing Christ’s descent from Golgotha, and place it in the tomb for veneration. Clergy and congregants then perform deep bows and kiss the relic in a show of reverence.
The icon remains in the center of the church for three days, signifying the time Christ spent in the tomb before his resurrection.
In keeping with tradition, families also begin dyeing Easter eggs red before sunset on Good Friday. The red eggs, symbolizing life and the blood of Christ, serve as a reminder of the eternal life granted to humanity through the Savior’s sacrifice.
