[republished, April 7, 2023]
Easter is on its way. But serving as a prelude to Jesus Christ’s resurrection is the story of His passion and death, which in Christian holiday is called Good Friday. This solemn occasion commemorates the day Jesus was betrayed by his disciple Judas, condemned in the hands of Pontius Pilate, and crucified for claiming to be the Son of God. It’s considered one of the most important events among Christians around the world as it signifies God’s love for humanity, whose sins have been atoned for by the blood of Christ.
Similar to Easter, countries around the world commemorate this sacred festival in different ways. Below are some of the most interesting facts and trivia about Good Friday:
1. Unlike many Christian holidays, Good Friday doesn’t fall on the same day. It keeps shifting each year and usually falls between March 20 and April 23.
2. In 2024, Good Friday will fall on March 29.
3. The very first Good Friday is believed to have taken place on April 3, 33 A.D. However, Isaac Newton expressed the difference between the Julian and biblical calendars and, based on the moon’s size, calculated it to be 34 A.D.
4. The etymology of “good” in Good Friday is not exactly known. It is thought to mean “holy” or “pious” or to be a variant of “God.”
5. Contrary to its name, this holy event is a day of mourning. It is believed that “good” is used to signify the good result of Christ’s death and resurrection.
6. This Christian tradition is called by different names—Black Friday, Easter Friday, God’s Friday, Great Friday, Holy Friday, Mourning Friday, or Silent Friday.
7. The day before Good Friday is called Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday. “Maundy” came from the Latin term mandatum, which translates to “commandment.” This signifies the commandment that Jesus gave His disciples during the Passover—“And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34).
8. The day after Good Friday is known as Holy Saturday. It is also called Black Saturday, given that the color symbolizes mourning.
9. Good Friday is observed during Holy Week, which begins on Palm Sunday of the previous week. It is part of the Paschal Triduum or Three Days, the period from the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday.
10. The liturgical color of Good Friday is red (a symbol of blood) or black (a symbol of death).
11. In Catholic churches, no Holy Mass is celebrated on Good Friday. Instead, the Stations of the Cross (also known as the Three Hours’ Agony), the Veneration of the Cross, and other special prayer services are observed.
12. In churches, altars remain bare on Good Friday, except for a life-sized cross at the center, which the parishioners may touch or kiss.
13. It’s considered the most somber day in the Christian calendar. Worship rooms are normally stripped off adornments during this day.
14. It’s a tradition among Catholics to abstain from meat on Good Friday. Some also fast or eat very small meals on this day.
15. Some church congregations and denominations do not celebrate Good Friday on a Friday but instead observe the Jewish sacrifice of the Passover Lamb, which takes place on a Wednesday.
16. In the Orthodox tradition, the cross is removed from the church’s sanctuary, and a church service focusing on Christ’s burial is observed.
17. In an ancient Good Friday service known as the Tenebrae service, 12 candles (symbolizing the 12 apostles) and one main candle (symbolizing Jesus) are lit. While the narrative of Christ’s passion is read, the 12 candles are extinguished one at a time. The last to be extinguished is the main candle, which is blown out with disturbing music or noise while the reading is completed.
18. Jesus is believed to have died at 3 p.m., the reason Catholics normally start their church services at this time. These may include a reflection of the seven last words of Jesus, as well as Scripture reading, short sermons, and hymns.
19. During the 1788 Great Fire of New Orleans, which fell on a Good Friday, priests forbid church bells to be rung as fire alarms, resulting in the burning of a total of 856 homes.
20. On Good Friday in 1930, BBC reported the absence of newsworthy stories on that day, announcing “There is no news” and playing only piano music for the entire day.
21. A kite fest is held in Bermuda every year during Good Friday. The kites are usually made of colored tissue paper, string, and wood. The wood used in these kites and the shape of the kites are said to symbolize the cross on which Jesus died. Meanwhile, the flying of the kites represents Christ’s ascension into heaven.
22. In El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, streets are often decorated with alfombras, a form of religious art created using sawdust of various colors.
23. In medieval Europe, Christians abstained from eating eggs.
24. The cracking of eggs represents Jesus’ resurrection, so some observers of Good Friday don’t consume eggs on this day.
25. In the nineteenth century in France, it was considered a symbol of free thinking to have a sausage-eating party during Good Friday.
26. Dancing is banned on this day in Germany. Calling it Sorrowful Friday, the country mandates all nightclubs to close on this day and penalizes violators with a fine of $1,300.
27. In Indian states with large Christian populations, many businesses, as well as stock markets, are closed on Good Friday. However, they remain open in other parts of the country.
28. For nearly a century in Ireland, the country prohibited selling alcohol on this religious holiday, lifting this long-time ban only in 2018.
29. The Irish believe eggs laid on Good Friday won’t ever rot, with some even keeping their eggs for decades to prove the reality of the myth. They also mark their eggs with a cross and have every family member eat one during Easter for luck and good health.
30. In Jamaica, they crack eggs before sunrise and put the egg white in a glass of water. As the sun rises, it heats the egg, forming patterns in the glass. How the white swirls is believed to be able to foretell the death of a person.
31. To respect this solemn occasion, radio ads are not allowed to air from 6 a.m. till noon in New Zealand.
32. In remembrance of Christ’s death, a reenactment of His crucifixion is done in the Philippines, wherein people volunteer to be actually nailed on the cross.
33. As Good Friday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, most businesses and organizations are closed on this day. Eating fish and making hot cross buns are a few of the oldest traditions in the country. The bun’s top is designed with a cross, which is often made of white, yellow, or chocolate frostings.
34. Every year, a free, open-air play about The Passion of Jesus is shown in Trafalgar Square in London, which can also be viewed on Facebook via livestream.
35. Only 12 of the 50 states in the United States have instituted Good Friday as a legal holiday: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Texas, and Tennessee.
36. In some countries that don’t observe Good Friday, work is normally halted for a few hours after 3 p.m.
37. Many Good Friday celebrations around the world end with churches tolling their bells 33 times for each year of Christ’s life on Earth.
38. Richard Wagner, a famous German composer, included an orchestral interlude called the Good Friday Music in his music drama Parsifal.
39. Some of the great movies that depict Jesus’ crucifixion are Jesus of Nazareth (1977), The Jesus Film (1979), The Visual Bible: Matthew (1993), and The Passion of the Christ (2004).
40. A lot of superstitious beliefs surround the commemoration of this tradition. According to one, brewing on Good Friday could burn your house down.
41. Another superstition claims that if clothes are washed on Good Friday, the head of the household may die.
42. According to another, a garment sewn on this day would never need to be repaired.
43. Changing pillow covers or sheets during Good Friday is thought to bring bad dreams.
44. Cutting your nails on Good Friday is said to bring bad luck.
45. A haircut on Good Friday is believed to prevent headaches for the whole year.
46. According to superstition, sailing on Good Friday could bring disasters to fishermen and sailors, such as a storm or shipwreck. However, carrying a hot cross bun during the expedition is thought to protect them from bad luck.
47. Buns baked on Good Friday are superstitiously known to never get moldy, and their crumbs are said to cure diarrhea.
48. Whatever you pray for at 3 p.m. on Good Friday is believed to be granted.
49. A child born on Good Friday and baptized on Easter Sunday is said to acquire healing powers.
50. A person who dies on this day is thought to go straight to heaven.
Den of Faith 