Good Friday 2024: Date, History, Celebration, and Traditions | Everything You Need to Know
The meaning of the Good Friday word resembles the Pious or holy Friday. It is the Friday before Easter, a festival of Christian Religion which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. It is a Christian Holiday which commemorates the Crucifixion of Jesus and his death. This year it will be commemorated on 29th March 2024. It is said on this day Jesus was crucified by the Romans. Pontius Pilate named Roman governor of Judaea, ordered the execution of Jesus to start a new religion. The christians believe that on this day Jesus died and he took away all the sins of all human beings from this world along with him. Good Friday is a part of the Paschal Triduum or Three days which observes Jesus’s trial, his death and his Resurrection. It comes during the Holy Week which starts with Palm Sunday and ends with Easter Sunday. Triduum starts with Maundy Thursday one day before the Good Friday and it ends on Easter Sunday. Good Friday is also Known as Great Friday, Holi Friday, and Black Friday. Different Christian denominations like Catholic, Orthodox, Methodist, Oriental Orthodox, etc keep fast during Good Friday. Good Friday is observed as a day of fasting, penance and sorrow for Christian of all over the world.
When Is Good Friday 2024?
Good Friday is the most mourning day for every Christian in the world. Every year the Date of Good Friday differs from the previous year date in both Gregorian and Julian calendars. Christian from east and west disagree over the calculation of Easter’s date and consequently of Good Friday. Good Friday is a widely accepted legal holiday across the world including 12 U.S. states, India and most western countries. Germany Observes this day as Karfreitag meaning Sorrowful Friday. Spain observes it as Viernes Santo means Holy or sacred Friday. This year Good Friday will be observed on 29th April 2024.
| Date | Holiday | Holiday type |
| Friday, 29 March 2024 | Good Friday | Gazetted Holiday |
Good Friday 10 year (2019-2029) Observances
In the tale below 10 year Good Friday trend is shown from 2019 to 2029:
| Year | Weekday | Date | Name | Holiday Type |
| 2019 | Fri | 19 Apr | Good Friday | Gazetted Holiday |
| 2020 | Fri | 10 Apr | Good Friday | Gazetted Holiday |
| 2021 | Fri | 2 Apr | Good Friday | Gazetted Holiday |
| 2022 | Fri | 15 Apr | Good Friday | Gazetted Holiday |
| 2023 | Fri | 7 Apr | Good Friday | Gazetted Holiday |
| 2024 | Fri | 29 Mar | Good Friday | Gazetted Holiday |
| 2025 | Fri | 18 Apr | Good Friday | Gazetted Holiday |
| 2026 | Fri | 3 Apr | Good Friday | Gazetted Holiday |
| 2027 | Fri | 26 Mar | Good Friday | Gazetted Holiday |
| 2028 | Fri | 14 Apr | Good Friday | Gazetted Holiday |
| 2029 | Fri | 30 Mar | Good Friday | Gazetted Holiday |
The History Behind Good Friday
To memorise the crucifixion of Jesus every year good friday is observed. It is believed that on this day around 2000 years ago Jesus was crucified by the Romans to end the Christianity and establish a new religion. The christians believe that on this day Jesus died and he took away all the sins of all human beings from this world along with him. Because he sacrificed himself for the sake of humanity and his people. That’s why God redeemed people from their sins and allowed their transaction into heaven. The occasion represents the love of Jesus towards all the people, his forgiveness and sacrifice for all humans who committed or not sins. Good Friday is a part of the Paschal Triduum or Three days which observes Jesus’s trial, his death and his Resurrection. It comes during the Holy Week which starts with Palm Sunday and ends with Easter Sunday. Triduum starts with Maundy Thursday one day before the Good Friday and it ends on Easter Sunday. There is a famous life event related to Jesus’ life which is related to Good Friday and Holy Thursday. It is said that on Holy Thursday one day before the Good Friday Jesus took his Last Supper with his disciples. It is also called Maundy Thursday. The Last Supper is the Final meal eaten by Jesus with his followers in Jerusalem. It was the occasion of the foundation of the Eucharist. According to the New Testament the Last Supper story was one night before the crucifixion of jesus. Jesus told his two disciples to prepare the meal for supper and bring it to the upper room and eat with everyone. Jesus told them that one of them is going to betray him. After the food is served Jesus blessed wine and bread and gave it to everyone saying that it was his blood and body of the Covenant.
Other Names of Good Friday in Different Languages:
| English | Good Friday |
| German | Karfreitag |
| Hindi | गुड फ्राइडे |
| Norwegian | Langfredag |
| Spanish | Viernes Santo |
How is Good Friday Celebrated? What do people do on Good Friday?
Most christians observe this day in remembrance of the death, sacrifice and sufferings of Jesus before his resurrection. This day is celebrated as a reminder of the final sacrifice made by Jesus Christ for atonement of sins of all human beings on this earth. The largest observance takes place in the Vatican City For Catholics worldwide. Here large crowds gather to see the Pope recite the Way of the Cross outside the Colosseum. In the sky, a gigantic cross hanged with burning torches and believers lit up their own candles.
All Catholics observe this day by offering prayers in the Churches and by fasting. Jesus was crucified in the afternoon. That’s why services are done in the afternoon. Jesus is honoured by the christians by memorising his pain he suffered for his people and his sacrifice he made for mankind. A ritual called the Veneration of the Cross is observed in some churches. During this ritual Christian Kneel before Jesus christ to pledge their faith.
On good Friday a passion play is held in Trafalgar Square, London. In which the whole story of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ is depicted. The play is around 90 minutes long and thousands of people gather every year to watch it. There is no cost to watch this play, it’s completely free. In Bermuda on this day people fly kites to memorise the journey of Jesus and his ascension to heaven.
Traditional Practices on Good Friday
The day Jesus resurrected is celebrated as celebrated as Easter Sunday before that on friday people perform certain rituals as follows:
- Great Three hours of agony is viewed from noon 12 to 3 pm on Maundy Thursday
- People go to churches to offer prayers
- Christian mourn on the sacrifice and crucifixion of Jesus
- Good Friday and Saturday after it, is called the Holy Saturday, is also vouched as the day of mourning
- People keep fast on Good Friday
Festivities of Good Friday
- Christians across the world take part in the Holy Communion.
- Christians sing hymns and prayers.
- They cover statues, crosses and pictures with black clothes.
- People attend the church and offer prayers.
Related Festivals with Good Friday
Holy Week is observed in the week before Easter Sunday and each day of the week is celebrated as ‘Holy Day’. The days of Holy week are named as:
- Palm Sunday
- Holy Monday
- Holy Tuesday
- Spy Wednesday
- Maundy Thursday
- Good Friday
- Holy Saturday
- Easter Sunday
Here are some of the Important Days of the Holy Week:
Maundy Thursday:
The Thursday before Easter Sunday is called Maundy Thursday. It is celebrated to commemorate Jesus’s Eucharist during his Last Supper. It is marked on the 4th day of the Holy week. It is also called Green Thursday, Holy Thursday or Clean Thursday.
Good Friday:
It is the day of the crucifixion of Jesus. It is observed on the sixth day of the Holy week. It is also a part of Paschal Triduum or 3 days, which refer to the Jesus trial, his crucifixion and his resurrection. Good Friday is also known as ‘Holy Friday’, ‘Black Friday’, ‘Great Friday’. This day is celebrated as a gazetted holiday all around the globe.
Holy Saturday:
Holy Saturday is the final day of the Holy Week of Christianity. It is also known as Great Sabbath or Hallelujah Saturday. The day is marked as a day of grieving over Jesus’s death. This day falls between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. People following christianity begin the preparations for Easter from the day of Holy Saturday.
Easter Sunday:
Easter Sunday honours the resurrection of Jesus on Sunday after his crucifixion on black friday. It is also known as Pascha or Resurrection Sunday. Christian People all around the world believe that Jesus resurrected (became alive) on Easter Sunday after his death and burial, after which he kept on living for 40 days. He proclaimed his right on Earth and Heaven and commanded his disciples to preach the Gospel to the entire world.
Symbols of Good Friday
Good Friday is commemorated in the memory of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, death and crucifixion. He gave up his life to save humanity from the sins and make a way for all humans to go to heaven. The Crucifix is the symbol which represents the main symbol of Good Friday because it shows how Jesus died. Some crosses are adorned with the image or figure of Jesus christ. Other symbols for Black Friday also involve black cloth to cover crosses, statues and paintings in the churches. Removal of flowers is also shown as the symbol of grieving on the occasion of Black Friday.
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