Easter and Good Friday in India

Good Friday is a gazette holiday in India. It commemorates the final hours of Jesus' life, his crucifixion, and death, as described in the Christian bible. Many Christians in India attend special church services or pray on Good Friday. Some people also fast or abstain from meat on this day. Many Christians hold parades or open air plays to portray the last days and hours of Jesus' life in some areas of India. Good Friday is a day of sadness, in which churches are empty and dark. Services are held in the afternoon. Many churches have a bitter drink prepared from leaves, vinegar, and other ingredients. This drink is for everyone to taste after the service.

The Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, and Good Friday falls two days before Easter Sunday. The rituals follow a three-hour service, which consists of reading passages from the Gospel about the Seven Last Words of Jesus. Two most noted sentences are: “Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” and “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Both of them are read and remembered in church services on this day.

The celebrations of Easter in India commence with Lent and culminate with Easter Sunday. Christians all over the country, especially in Mumbai, Goa and the Northeastern states, make elaborate arrangements for Easter festivities. Worshippers throng the churches for special prayers and rituals on Easter Sunday. Although people do not decorate Easter eggs in India, they are well aware of the oldest tradition of the festival and hence, make it a point to purchase beautifully decorated Easter eggs from the stores and give them as presents for their children. During the festival, Easter bunnies are also sold in the stores. As a part of the festivities, people exchange gift items with each other.

Goa, a Portugal colony in the pre-Independent India, is one of the best Easter holiday destinations in India. In this small western State of India, street plays, songs, dances are staged during the festive occasion of Easter. Colorful carnivals are a part of the festivities in Goa. People at the Christian households bake lip smacking Easter cakes for their loved ones. The exchange of colorful lanterns is one of the traditions of Easter in India. Friends and relatives also exchange the Holy Cross, once the church service is over. Due to the diversity in the lifestyle and culture in India, the tastes vary from region to region. Therefore, you can find a lot of variety in the traditional recipes cooked for Easter, in the country.

In India, although Easter is not as popular as Christmas is. Christians, on Easter, ensure that the Resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ is observed with great gusto. To serve the purpose, people have adopted the popular tradition of hosting lavish lunch, dinner and Easter parties (which is seen elsewhere in the world). Interesting games are arranged to keep up the festive spirits, and even small children making beautiful crafts for the festival. All in all, Easter is a wonderful occasion for having a lot of fun.