When is Good Friday?
GOOD Friday is a milestone date in the religious calendar, when Christians observe the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
But why does the religious holiday fall on a different date each year? And when will Good Friday and Easter Sunday take place in 2021?
When is Good Friday?
In 2021, Good Friday will fall on April 2.
Easter Sunday then follows on April 4, 2021.
Unlike Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day which all fall on fixed dates, Easter can be any time between March 22 and April 25.
This is because it is determined by the Jewish calendar, which is based on lunar cycles, and Easter should fall the Sunday after the Passover full moon.
The Passover Moon is the first full moon after the spring equinox.
When is the Easter Bank Holiday?
In 2021, Easter Monday bank holiday is on April 5.
In 2021, Easter Sunday falls on Sunday, April 4, more than a week earlier than last year’s date of April 12.
For most people in the UK, this should fall towards the beginning of the school holidays.
Why is Good Friday celebrated?
Good Friday is a Christian holiday which marks the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
According to Christianity, it is when Jesus died to resurrect three days later, which is celebrated on Easter Sunday.
Easter is a Christian tradition that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus and marks the end of Lent.
Those who follow the Bible believe that Christ was crucified at Calvary on Good Friday.
According to the New Testament of the Bible, Easter occurs three days after the crucifixion of Jesus by the Romans.
Why is it called Good Friday?
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".
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The OED states that "good" in this context refers to "a day or season observed as holy by the church", this explains we say "good tide" at Christmas or on Shrove Tuesday.
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The earliest known use of "guode friday" is found in The South English Legendary, a text from around 1290,
The Catholic Encyclopedia, first published in 1907, the origins of the term are not clear.