Good Friday 2024

What is Good Friday?

Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus at Calvary and his death. It is the most sombre day in the Christian calendar and the centre of Holy Week, between Maundy Thursday and Holy Saturday. Catholic and Protestant churches hold services of readings, prayers and veneration of the cross, often at three in the afternoon, and many believers fast or abstain from meat. In the Orthodox churches it is called Great and Holy Friday, and the evening service features the procession of the epitaphios, a cloth icon that represents Christ's burial. Whatever the denomination, the day's mood is subdued.

The origin of the name is debated, and the word good here may refer to holy or to the good outcome of the Passion. Customs include processions in Spain, Italy, Malta and Portugal, hot cross buns in Britain, fish dishes in many countries, and in some Protestant countries a strong tradition of quiet, with restrictions on public entertainment. In the English-speaking world the day is also linked to hot cross buns, marked with a cross and traditionally eaten on the morning of the day, and to quiet public life, since many pubs, theatres and cinemas used to close. In Spain, Italy, Malta and the Philippines the processions with hooded penitents are the best-known sight, and in Jerusalem pilgrims walk the Via Dolorosa.

Why it is observed

The commemoration of Christ's death on the Friday before Easter goes back to the earliest centuries of Christianity, and it is mentioned by writers in the second and third centuries. The Friday fast and the long liturgies were developed further in Jerusalem in the fourth century, where pilgrims followed the places of the events. In the Reformation era Protestant countries kept the day as one of the main holy days, and in Germany, Scandinavia and the United Kingdom it remains a statutory holiday today, often with strict rules about dancing, sport and public events.

How the date is set

Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday, two days before it. Western churches reckon it on the Gregorian calendar, which gives a date between 20 March and 23 April, and Orthodox churches reckon it on the Julian calendar, which currently gives a date between 2 April and 6 May.

How it is observed

Good Friday is a public holiday in most of Europe and in Canada, Australia and other Commonwealth countries, and in some US states, though not federally. France recognises it only in Alsace-Moselle, and in some countries it is a day off for banks but not for shops. In Germany, public dancing and some events are restricted by law, and in Norway and Denmark alcohol sales may be limited. In Romania and Bulgaria the Orthodox date applies. Pay and entitlements depend on the country and the contract. Visitors should check shop hours in advance.