Why is Good Friday called Good Friday? Easter date meaning explained

GOOD FRIDAY holds a significant place in the religious calendar marking a tradition observed for centuries.

Here we take a look at the story behind the religious holiday and how Good Friday is observed.

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What is Good Friday?

According to Christianity, Good Friday is the day for Christians to commemorate Jesus’s crucifixion.

It is when Jesus died to resurrect three days later, which is celebrated on Easter Sunday.

Christians believe Christ came to earth in order to sacrifice Himself so sinners would be redeemed.

In the UK, Good Friday is observed as a bank holiday - as is Easter Monday.

The Easter Bank holiday is a welcome break for many each year, with a four day holiday providing plenty of time to enjoy Easter treats and typically, spend time with family and friends.

Both Good Friday and Easter Sunday are what some Christians call a "movable feast".

This means that they happen on a different day each year. 

In 2024, Good Friday falls on Friday, March 29.

Its celebration falls between March 21 and April 25 every year.

But the specific date is determined by the lunar cycle.

Why is Good Friday called Good Friday?

Despite its name, Good Friday does not refer to a happy time - as it is the day that Jesus was crucified by the Romans - with Easter Sunday bringing his resurrection or rebirth.

Instead, "Good" comes from the former meaning of the word "Holy" or "pious".

Another reference around the name relates to the Bible which has been called "the good book".

But the Oxford English Dictionary's Fiona MacPherson said that the term "good" used here "designates a day on (or sometimes a season in) which religious observance is held".

The OED states that "good" in this context refers to "a day or season observed as holy by the church." 

This explains how we say "good tide" at Christmas or on Shrove Tuesday. 

The earliest known use of "guode friday" is found in The South English Legendary, a text from around 1290, according to the dictionary.

The Catholic Encyclopaedia, first published in 1907, states that the origins of the term are not clear.

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It says some sources see its origins in the term "God's Friday" or Gottes Freitag, while others maintain that it is from the German Gute Freitag. 

The text mentions that Anglo-Saxons referred to the day as Long Friday and is referred to as such in modern Danish.

It also states that the day is known as "the Holy and Great Friday" in the Greek liturgy.

Whilst it is referred to as "Holy Friday" in Romance Languages.

The Baltimore Catechism states that Good Friday is good because Christ "showed His great love for man, and purchased for him every blessing".

The book is the standard US Catholic school text from 1885 to the 1960s.

What happens on Good Friday?

Many Good Friday traditions are still are practiced today.

Various Christian denominations such as Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, and Orthodox commemorate the day with church services that are often solemn.

They take the time to reflect on the suffering Christ endured to save humanity as described in the Bible.

Some also observe the day with fasting or abstaining from meat.

These followers believe that this will help empty their bodies so they can be filled with the Holy Spirit. 

It also helps them share and empathise with Jesus's suffering on the cross.

In many countries there are special Good Friday processions and street re-enactments of the crucifixion take place.

Eating fish and chips in the evening has also become a traditional practice.

It is customary to eat hot cross buns on Good Friday as the cross symbolises the crucifixion of Jesus.