Good Friday✝️

Category: Religious

About Good Friday

How long until Good Friday?
Good Friday .
Dates of Good Friday
2026 InternationalApr 3
International Fri, Apr 3Observances Holiday
2025 InternationalApr 18
International Fri, Apr 18Observances Holiday
2024 InternationalMar 29
International Fri, Mar 29Observances Holiday
2023 InternationalApr 7
International Fri, Apr 7Observances Holiday
2022 InternationalApr 15
International Fri, Apr 15Observances Holiday
Summary
Good Friday occurs on the Friday before Easter. The day commemorates the Crucifixion of Jesus.

When is Good Friday?

An annual Christian holiday, and the Friday before Easter, this day commemorates the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at the Calvary. From the early days of Christianity, Good Friday was observed as a day of sorrow, penance, and fasting.

What is Good Friday?

The most important events in Christianity are the death and later resurrection of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe is the Son of God, and whose life and teachings are the foundation of Christianity.

After the last supper, Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, put on trial, sentenced to death. He was then tied and nailed by the wrists and feet to a large wooden cross and left to die. This is why the cross is used as a symbol of the Christian faith.

Good Friday is a day of mourning. During special Good Friday services Christians meditate on Jesus's suffering and death on the cross, and what this means for their faith.

Why is it called 'Good Friday'?

At first glance, it seems a strange name for a day that marked such a terrible event as a crucifixion, but when we look at the origin of the name it becomes clearer... or it would if there was one origin that people could agree on. As it stands, you can take your pick from the following:

  • Some say it comes from the use of "Good" as an adjective applied to the day, which is an Old English synonym for "holy."
  • Others believe it stems from a corruption of the word "God," in much the same way that "Good Bye" comes from the phrase "God be with ye." So the name may be derived from 'God's Friday'.
  • Undoubtedly most Christians perceive the day as "good" because the message of Easter is of Christ's victory over sin, death, and the devil. Indeed, the New Testament is also known as the Gospel, which is Greek for 'Good News'.

Also, it also worth noting that this confusion over the name is mainly confined to Western European and North American Christians. Eastern Orthodox Christians call it "Great and Holy Friday. Around the rest of the world, it's known as Holy Friday in most Latin nations, 'Great Friday' by the Slavic peoples, "Friday of Mourning" in Germany and "Long Friday" in Norway.

Good Friday Traditions

Many Church services are held in the afternoon, usually between noon to 3pm, to remember the hours when Jesus was crucified on the cross.

Some churches observe the day by re-enacting the process of the cross in the rituals of stations of the cross, which depicts the final hours of Jesus' life. Other churches may participate in Veneration of the Cross, a short ceremony in which Christians kneel before the cross and affirm their faith.

In Jerusalem, Christians follow in Jesus' footsteps and walk Via Dolorosa, the traditional path that led to the site of the crucifixion. Many who participate try to ritually bear the same weight Jesus did by carrying crosses on their backs.

Though it's not a public holiday in the Vatican or Italy, the Pope will say a mass at the Vatican before leads an annual public prayer of the Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum in Rome. A procession is then made to the Palatine Hill, accompanied by a huge cross covered in burning torches. 

Related Observances

Read more about Easter

Easter 🥚

Easter Sunday is the most important date in the Christian church. In the bible, it is the day when Mary Magdalene found that an empty tomb in the cave in which Jesus had been placed.

Read More

Similar Observances

Read more about All Saints' Day

All Saints' Day

Pope Boniface IV dedicated the day as a holiday to honour the Blessed Virgin Mary and all martyrs

Read More
Read more about Diwali

Diwali 🪔

Celebrations revolve around the triumph of good over evil, purity over impurity, light over darkness.

Read More
Read more about All Souls' Day

All Souls' Day

Dedicated to the remembrance of the departed. All Souls' Day follows All Saints' Day.

Read More
Read more about St. Martin's Day

St. Martin's Day

Traditionally, in many parts of Europe, St Martin's Day marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter.

Read More

Other Observances on April 18th 2025

Read more about World Heritage Day

World Heritage Day

Find out the dates, history and traditions of World Heritage Day.

Read More
Read more about International Day for Monuments and Sites

International Day for Monuments and Sites

Find out the dates, history and traditions of International Day for Monuments and Sites.

Read More
Read more about International Jugglers Day

International Jugglers Day 🤹

Find out the dates, history and traditions of International Jugglers Day.

Read More
Read more about World Amateur Radio Day

World Amateur Radio Day 📻

Join the global celebration of World Amateur Radio Day, uniting a community passionate about communication and innovation.

Read More
All events on April 18th 2025