In most Orthodox Churches in the Americas, the Royal Hours are read at noon and the unnailing Vesper service takes place at 3 p.m. According to the Gospel writings, this is the Hour that took the body of Jesus Christ down from the Cross and wrapped it in a white linen shroud and they placed it in a new tomb and closed the door by rolling a stone.

This day some do not even eat food with oil. It is customary to eat boiled lentil soup, which represents the tears of Virgin Mary under the Cross. Also some put vinegar in the soup, because the soldiers offered vinegar on a sponge when He was on the Cross.

Today the parishioners go early to church to decorate the canopy which is called the Kouvouklion with flowers. This canopy represents the tomb of Christ.

GOOD FRIDAY AFTERNOON

This is a Vesper service that is a continuation of the Royal Hours.

In the middle of the service, the Gospel is read which depicts how the body of the Lord is taken down from the Cross. During that time, the priest takes down the body of Christ and wraps it in a new linen sheet as did Joseph of Arimathea, and takes it to the altar.

The Priest then chants a mourning hymn: "When Joseph of Arimathea took Thee, the life of all, down from the Tree dead, he buried Thee with myrrh and fine linen . . . rejoicing. Glory to Thy humiliation, O Master, who clothest Thyself with light as it were with a garment."

The Priest then holds the Shroud of Christ, the Epitaphion, which is piece of cloth that has the Body of Christ and the noble Joseph, Arimathea, Virgin Mary and the myrrh-bearing women (companions of Virgin Mary) embroidered or painted on it, and places the shroud, into the Kouvouklion. The Epitaphion itself represents the body of Jesus wrapped in a burial shroud. At the end of the service, everybody passes by to venerate by passing under the canopy on knees from front to back.

GOOD FRIDAY EVENING

On Good Friday evening is the Funeral Service of our Lord, people hold lit candles in their hands and sing the lamentations around the shroud of Christ, in a darkened church.

The Priest goes around three times by chanting the burial hymns of Our Lord while girls of the church dressed in white dresses representing myrrh-bearers follow.

At the conclusion of the Lamentation, the Epitaphios is taken on the shoulders and a great funeral procession goes out of the church and around the block of the church.

The Procession makes 4 stops and at the end comes to the front door of the Church and everyone who followed the procession enters back into the church by passing under the Epitaphios. People then receive a blessing and flower from the Priest.

References by Archdiocese of America, Monachos and the V. Rev. Archimandrite Alexander Kile.