A discernible break with tradition

Mar 29, 2024 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Kaieteur News – Good Friday in Guyana is not what it used to be. The day has lost much of its solemnity. The one day of the year in which Guyana came to a halt was on Good Friday. It was a day in which if a pin dropped you could hear it. It was a day in which the country halted. Not anymore.

Long ago, businesses – big, small and tiny – closed their doors. Christians went to church and then hurried home in silence to mourn the death of Jesus. The streets were barren for most of the day. No alcohol was sold on Good Friday. The bars were shut tight. The radio played solemn music all day. There was no noise nuisance on Good Friday.

Not a kite was to be seen in the sky. People stayed locked away in their homes.

Many persons who had never been to a church door, all year long, would not miss attending one of the Good Friday services. It was almost unheard of for a good Christian to miss a Good Friday service.

Most Christians did not eat “rank” on Good Friday. Cross buns and vegetarian meals were consumed in austere amounts on this day by both Christians and non-Christians.

Things have changed. Tradition is being uprooted. Good Friday is not the day it was.

These days, Good Friday is like any other holiday or Sunday. There are lots of vehicles on the roads. Most shops are closed, but at the markets, things are abuzz, something that you would not have found in the past.

There has been a discernible break with tradition. Long held traditions are being dispensed and the fear is that this break with tradition will result, as it has in many societies, in diminution of social controls and order.

The changing face of Good Friday is seen as representing a threat to certain values which have long been institutionalized. But it is also a relaxation of certain forms of cultural hegemony which were institutionalized.

Good Friday traditions were institutionalized by the State, which passed laws prohibiting the opening of businesses, the sale of alcohol, and which made Good Friday a public holiday.

Guyana is multicultural society; Guyana is not a Christian society. But the thaw in Good Friday traditions has nothing to do with the fact that non-Christian faiths no longer felt the need to be constrained by Good Friday traditions. In fact, there are many Christians themselves who are no longer observing Good Friday in the traditional manner.

Christianity is also undergoing changes in Guyana. The traditional Churches – Anglicans, Catholics, Lutherans and Methodists – are no longer a dominant force in Christianity. The Pentecostals and Evangelicals have emerged as a potent force and are now replacing the traditional churches as the dominant Christian denominations. And many of these new sects do not observe Good Friday in the traditional manner.

The changing face of Good Friday is therefore not only about the increased secularization of society – one which has seen this year the opening of some pubs in Ireland – it is also about the changing of the guard in Christianity itself.

The “ new’ churches emphasize a more experiential and emotionally charged form of worship, often diverging from the liturgical practices of the traditional denominations. Consequently, Good Friday observances in these communities may take on different forms, focusing more on personal spiritual experiences and expressions of faith rather than adherence to traditional rituals.

But should we totally liberalize Good Friday and allow persons to do whatever they wish. Should bars and restaurants be opened on this day? Should more people eat meat on Good Friday? Should sports be played on this day?

The answer is that while traditions can change, they should not be totally eliminated. Guyana does need to hold on to some of its old, cultural traditions. These traditions serve as a vital link to Guyana’s rich heritage and provide a sense of continuity and identity for its people. They offer valuable insights into the history, values, and customs that have shaped the nation over generations.

Good Friday is a day of rest. In the past, we tended to do less and consume less. We need such days to remind us that the key to protecting our environment is tied to a reduction in consumption. To the extent that we consume less, travel less, rest more and stay at home more on Good Friday, then the traditions of that day are worth preserving.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this newspaper and its affiliates.)

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• country, Good Friday, Guyana, Peeping Tom, tradition

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