Should we not greet anybody on Good Friday?

[c_truelove]

A friend of mine told me that a Catholic tradition, when attending the Good Friday service, is that we do not greet our neighbors. The idea, I’m guessing, was that the day is such a somber day that we are in mourning and one way to show our mourning is to remain very reserved (to the point of not even greeting each other at church). My friend made a comment about just going to church and returning home and doing very little else for the rest of the day. I can’t seem to find much about this anywhere. Can you shed light on it for me?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

I have never heard of such a custom of not greeting anyone on Good Friday. If such a custom existed, it was a pious practice meant to enter into the reverential spirit of the day. However, logically speaking, one would have to extend such a practice to Holy Saturday, as well, as that is the day the Church commemorates Christ’s time in the tomb.

In any event, such a custom is not binding upon Catholics. Those who wish to observe it as a pious devotion are free to do so, but might consider acknowledging greetings they receive with a nod and a smile in order to avoid unnecessarily spurning a friendly “hello” from someone who doesn’t observe or doesn’t know of the practice.