photography: ivokoychev. org
On Good Friday, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, was crucified. With his death he atones for the sins of mankind. The Holy Liturgy is not celebrated on this day, because it is believed that the Lord sacrificed Himself. However, Vespers are celebrated when Christ's sufferings, death and burial are remembered and empathized with.
In the middle of the temple on a specially erected place is the tomb of Jesus, decorated with flowers. On the Throne is placed the Shroud with which the body of Christ was wrapped after his removal from the cross. It is a piece of cloth on which the image of the Savior lying in the tomb is embroidered. The Gospel and the Cross are placed on it. Flowers are placed on the shroud, and then people cross themselves and kneel under it so that no evil spirit enters them. In the past, incense was placed on the shroud to "sanctify" it, left until Holy Saturday, and then used as a remedy for teeth and all kinds of magic.
After the priest brings out the Shroud of the evening service, it is walking with it and symbolically is performed the burial of Christ. At the end of the service, the priest takes her from the throne and places her in the "grave" in the center of the temple.
Worship in front of her continues until late Saturday night, when she is brought back to the altar - minutes before the Easter procession on the cross and the coming of Easter.
Sources:
Mihail Arnaudov - Bulgarian national holidays
V. Cholakov - Bulgarian National Collection
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