Passion Plays, Hot Cross Buns, and Wearing Black: 7 Easter Traditions That Refuse to Die
From medieval Passion plays to hot cross buns and wearing black, these seven Good Friday traditions have endured for centuries across Christendom.
7 Powerful Good Friday Traditions Every Christian Should Know About
For centuries, Christians around the world have observed Good Friday with sacred traditions that honor the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. From medieval Europe to modern day Bermuda, these customs remind believers of the ultimate sacrifice made at Calvary.
Among the most striking traditions is the performance of Passion plays, dramatic reenactments of Christ's final hours. These productions originated in medieval Europe and continue today in communities worldwide. The village of Oberammergau in the Bavarian Alps holds the longest tradition, having performed the production regularly since 1634. According to Britannica, it remains an entirely local production with villagers taking all the parts and singing in the chorus.
In Bermuda, residents fly kites featuring a cross in their design. The practice traces back to a Sunday School teacher who used a kite to illustrate Jesus ascending to Heaven. Today, a free Kite Festival celebrates this unique tradition.
Roman Catholics observe strict fasting on Good Friday. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, fasting norms are obligatory from age 18 until age 59, permitting one full meal and two smaller meals that together do not equal a full meal.
Hot cross buns, those spiced rolls marked with a cross on top, have been linked to Good Friday since at least the 12th century. Legend holds that a monk first baked them in preparation for Easter. Queen Elizabeth I later decreed in 1592 that they could only be eaten on Good Friday, Christmas, and after burial ceremonies.
Ancient Good Friday Customs That Still Shape Christian Worship Today
The Strepitus, meaning "loud noise," is performed during the Tenebrae service to represent the moment of Christ's death. Different churches execute this in unique ways: loudly closing a book, banging cymbals, or playing a pipe organ with sudden intensity. One Reformed Worship account describes a mallet roll on a cymbal that began almost inaudibly, then increased over nearly a full minute until the sound thundered off the walls.
Wearing black on Good Friday remains a deeply held Catholic tradition. As one Catholic source explains, Good Friday is the most somber day of the entire year. A silence pervades, socializing is kept to a minimum, and things are done quietly. It is treated as a funeral, mourning the death of Our Lord.
In Ireland, pubs were legally prohibited from selling alcohol on Good Friday for nearly a century. Although Ireland passed legislation in January 2018 allowing pubs to operate on the holy day, many establishments continue honoring the tradition. One pub owner told the Irish Independent that most customers would observe fasting on the day and stay off the drink anyway.
The Crusader's Opinion
These traditions are not quaint relics of the past. They are the living heartbeat of Christendom. While the secular world treats Good Friday as just another day off work, billions of faithful Christians still wear black, fast, and weep at the foot of the cross. The world mocks our grief. Hollywood parodies our Passion plays. Corporations sell "spring buns" instead of hot cross buns. But we will not be silenced. The cross is not a symbol to be sanitized or stripped from public life. It is the most powerful event in human history, the day God Himself died for us, and every tradition that keeps that memory alive is a battle won against the spirit of this age.
Take Action
- Attend a Good Friday service at your local church this week. If your church does not hold one, find one nearby through your denomination's website.
- Start a new tradition: bake hot cross buns with your family and explain the meaning of the cross to your children and grandchildren.
- Support persecuted Christians who cannot openly observe Good Friday. Donate to The Shepherd's Shield or Open Doors.
- Share this article with your church community and on social media. Let the world know that Good Friday still matters.
- Write to your local government representatives and remind them that Good Friday should remain a recognized public holiday.
