Church on Good Friday, Holy Saturday

Holy Week is a special time for believers because it precedes the most important holiday - Easter.

Attendance at mass on Sunday is obligatory, but what about the other days?

We explain whether you also have to go to church on Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Holy Monday.

On what days do you have to go to church?

This year, the holidays fall earlier than before. Holy Week began on Monday, March 25, and Easter will be celebrated on the last day of the month, March 31. There is a strict fast on Good Friday, on Holy Saturday people traditionally go to church with a basket to bless food, and on Easter Monday there is a custom of pouring water on one another. We all know this, but not everyone is aware of which holiday days they should go to church for mass.

Good Friday is a very important day for Catholics because it commemorates the suffering and death of Christ. However, it is not a holiday of obligation, which means that there is no obligation to appear in church. Not everyone knows, but on Good Friday it is forbidden to perform all sacraments except the anointing of the sick. This means that there is no confession on that day. Holy Mass is not celebrated either. Believers, however, must keep a strict fast. You are not allowed to eat meat or drink alcohol.

On Holy Saturday, we traditionally go to church to bless the food that we will then eat at the festive table. It is a well-liked and popular custom, but not an obligation. A Catholic does not have to go with a basket on this day. There are no restrictions on eating or drinking. There is no need to wait for the blessing of the first meal, although this is the custom in many homes.

Easter always falls on Sunday, so attendance at mass on that day is obligatory. However, we do not have to take part in it on Monday.

To sum up, the only day on which attendance at Holy Mass is obligatory for Catholics is Easter Sunday.

This article was originally published on Onet Woman.