Summarize Holy Week, Great Friday, and why the vestments turn black.

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

Holy Week, known in the Coptic Orthodox Church as Pascha Week, is the most sacred period of the liturgical year. It is a time when the Church leaves behind all worldly concerns to follow Jesus Christ in His suffering, crucifixion, and ultimate victory over death.

Summary of Holy Week

Holy Week begins after the conclusion of Great Lent and the Saturday of Lazarus. It officially commences with Hosanna Sunday (Palm Sunday), marking the Lord's entrance into Jerusalem. During this week, the Church does not pray from the Agpeya (Book of Hours), as the focus is entirely on the life of Christ during His final days. Instead, we gather for the Pascha services, which consist of five morning hours and five evening hours daily.

The readings are centered on the prophecies of the Old Testament and the fulfillment of those prophecies in the New Testament. The atmosphere is one of profound mourning, repentance, and deep theological reflection on the economy of salvation.

Great Friday (Good Friday)

Great Friday is the climax of Pascha Week, where the Church commemorates the crucifixion and death of our Lord. The service is long and solemn, divided into several "hours" (1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, 11th, and 12th).

• The 6th Hour: We remember the Savior being nailed to the Cross.
• The 9th Hour: We remember His death in the flesh. This is marked by the chanting of the Great Agios in its sad tune.
• The 12th Hour: The "Burial" service takes place. An icon of the Savior is wrapped in white linen with spices and rose petals, symbolizing the burial of Christ by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. This is preceded by the chanting of Kyrie Eleison 400 times (100 in each direction) to ask for God's mercy upon the whole world.

Why the Vestments Turn Black

During Holy Week, the Church is draped in black. The altar remains closed during the Pascha hours, and the sanctuary curtains, the lecterns (mangalia), and the pillars are covered in black cloth. The clergy and deacons also wear black or dark vestments.

The use of black is for several reasons:

1. Expression of Grief: It signifies the Church’s mourning over the sins of humanity that led the Creator to the Cross.
2. Focus on the Passion: Unlike other denominations that may use purple, the Coptic Church uses black to emphasize the gravity of the suffering of the Theotokos and the disciples, and the darkness that covered the earth during the crucifixion.
3. Humility and Repentance: It serves as a visual reminder for the faithful to strip themselves of pride and worldly joy, focusing purely on the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.

The black vestments remain until the beginning of Joyous Saturday (Apocalypse Night) or the Liturgy of the Feast of the Resurrection, at which point the Church is transformed into bright white to symbolize the light of the Resurrection and the victory of life over death.