Dressing the Epitaphio – Cathedral of Saint George, Cape Town.
Pascha 2013, Cathedral of Saint George – Cape Town
The holiest day of Holy and Great Week is Good Friday, a day of mourning, when the death of Christ is commemorated during the Service of Lamentations sung at night.
Good Friday services are a re-enactment of the crucifixion of Jesus and during the daytime service, the figure of Christ is removed from the cross. A cloth with the image of Christ on it is placed in the Epitaphio, symbolising Jesus laid to rest in his tomb.
The Epitaphio represents the sepulchre of Christ and is lavishly covered in flowers, with candles that adorn the top and it will be carried by six young men from the congregation on their shoulders in the Holy Friday night procession.
Holy Thursday is the traditional day for dressing the Epitaphio and this blessed task is undertaken by the women and children of the congregation who design and create the beautiful floral adornment covering of the Epitaphio.
We wish you “Kali Anastasi.”
Students helping to dress the Epitaphio.
Cathedral of Saint George – Epitaphio 2013.