As Easter nears, many Christians around the world commemorated Good Friday on April 18 through various readings and processions throughout the day.
Good Friday is a religious holiday where Christians pray and reflect on the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. With the many denominations of Christians around the world, the way Good Friday is commemorated varies with each region and Christian denomination.
While many processions and readings are traditionally held on the religious holiday of Good Friday, some denominations such as the Roman Catholic Church don’t hold certain liturgies such as Mass during Good Friday and throughout the weekend leading into Easter Sunday.
Despite Mass not being held during Good Friday, many Christians re-enact the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in what is known as the Stations of the Cross, or the Way of the Cross.
In some processions in cities such as a Paris, France, the Stations of the Cross is done in a simple manner with a crowd of people walking the path of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, while listening to readings and reciting prayers. In other countries such as the Philippines, the crucifixion is often re-enacted dramatically, complete with actors playing the roles of Jesus Christ, Judas Iscariot, Mary Magdalene, Pontius Pilate and other figures present in the Biblical Gospel stories of the crucifixion.
In addition to Good Friday commemorations and processions being held around the world, the religious holiday is also one of two fast days for Roman Catholics during the Lenten season.
Take a closer look at Good Friday processions around the world in photos below.
A catholic faithful dressed as a guard attends a procession re-enactmenting the death of Jesus Christ, on Good Friday in Lagos April 18, 2014.Reuters/Akintunde AkinleyePenitents hang on wooden crosses during the re-enactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday in San Fernando, Pampanga in northern Philippines, April 18, 2014.Reuters/Erik De CastroPilgrims attend the annual Good Friday "Stations of the Cross" procession at the Champs de Mars near the Eiffel Tower in Paris April 18, 2014. Holy Week is celebrated in many Christian traditions during the week before Easter. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier (FRANCE - Tags: RELIGION)Reuters/Benoit TessierA penitent is seen through the smoke of incense during a re-enactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday in Iztapalapa in Mexico City April 18, 2014.Reuters/Edgard GarridoPeople walk alongside a statue of the Virgin Mary during Good Friday celebrations in San Vicente de la Sonsierra April 18, 2014. Catholic penitents from the town's La Santa Vera Cruz brotherhood, known as "Los Picaos", use bunches of tied rope to flagellate themselves across the two days before Easter. The religious tradition, dating back to medieval times, draws thousands of visitors to the town in Spain's Rioja wine growing region. REUTERS/Vincent West (SPAIN - Tags: SOCIETY RELIGION)Reuters/Vincent WestPope Francis lies as he prays during the Celebration of the Lord's Passion in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, April 18, 2014.Reuters/Stefano RellandiniPope Francis lies as he prays during the Celebration of the Lord's Passion in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, April 18, 2014.Reuters/Stefano RellandiniCatholic faithful walk in the rain during a procession re-enactmenting the death of Jesus Christ, on Good Friday in Lagos April 18, 2014.Reuters/Akintunde AkinleyeLebanese Christians take part in a re-enactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday beside Mar Joseph Chruch, Dhour Sarba April 18, 2014.Reuters/Sharif KarimCatholic faithful perform a re-enactment of the death of Jesus Christ, on Good Friday in Lagos April 18, 2014.Reuters/Akintunde AkinleyeMembers of the Italian community take part in a re-enactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday in Bensheim, southwest of Frankfurt, April 18, 2014.Reuters/Kai PfaffenbachChristian worshipers hold crosses as they wait before the start of a procession along the Via Dolorosa on Good Friday during Holy Week in Jerusalem's Old City April 18, 2014.Reuters/Ammar AwadCatholic devotees pray during a Good Friday mass inside a church in New Delhi April 18, 2014.Reuters/Anindito MukherjeeAn Orthodox Metropolitan follows a procession during a re-enactment of Jesus Christ's Deposition from the Cross on Good Friday at Penteli monastery, north of Athens April 18, 2014.Reuters/Yorgos KarahalisPolish devotees play out the Way of the Cross on Good Friday at the Sanctuary of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska near Krakow, southern Poland April 18, 2014.Reuters/Kacper PempelCatholic devotees attend a procession to mark Good Friday outside a church in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh April 18, 2014.Reuters/Ajay VermaAn Ethiopian Orthodox Christian worshiper rests along the Via Dolorosa on Good Friday during Holy Week in Jerusalem's Old City April 18, 2014. Christian worshippers on Friday retraced the route Jesus took along Via Dolorosa to his crucifixion in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.Reuters/Finbarr O'ReillyMembers of the Italian community take part in a re-enactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday in Bensheim, southwest of Frankfurt, April 18, 2014.Reuters/Kai PfaffenbachMembers of the Italian community practice carrying their crosses before they take part in a re-enactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday in Bensheim, southwest of Frankfurt, April 18, 2014.Reuters/Kai Pfaffenbach
