There are seven days in a week and 365 days in a regular year. People don’t generally like Mondays and they usually can’t wait for Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. In fact, many people live for the weekend which for some people, include Fridays. In addition, many national holidays such Christmas, Forth of July, New Years’ Day, New Year’s Eve, and Easter fall on a Friday. However, Thanksgiving can never fall on a Friday. Thanksgiving also falls on the fourth Thursday in November every year. Good Friday is one of the only holidays that have a day of the week in its name. Did you know that Good Friday day is the Friday that immediately proceeds Easter Sunday? This religious holiday is observed mostly by Christians. Did you also know that Good Friday day commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ? There are no traditional celebrations on Good Friday. A Good Friday day can and often does have prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and some family gatherings. Good Friday is related to many other holidays such as Passover, Christmas, which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, Ash Wednesday, and Easter. In 2007, Good Friday was celebrated on April 6th and in 2008, Good Friday will be celebrated on March 21st. Now, let’s look at Good Friday Day a bit more closely.

Good Friday Day has been translated into many languages. The Dutch name Goede Vrijdag translates as “Good Friday.” Other languages refer to Good Friday as usually Holy Friday. In the Holy Land, Good Friday is known as “Big Friday.” In Germany, Good Friday Day is referred to as “Karfreitag”, which is an old German word meaning “Friday of Lamentation, although that reference isn’t well known to speakers of modern German. In Armenia, Good Friday is called “High Friday” and in Russian Good Friday is called “Passion Friday.”

Did you know that Roman Catholic Christians treat Good Friday as a fast day, which is defined by people only having one large meal, which is smaller than a regular meal? In the United States, Good Friday isn’t a day off from work because people do continue to work until shortly before the afternoon liturgy. In Latin America, all Catholics have a day off of work on Good Friday day as well as on Holy Thursday, which is the day of the Last Supper. Did you know that the Last Supper is also known as to Jewish people as a Seder. The Passover Seders take place on the first two nights of Passover. Another interesting fact about Good Friday day is that in the Philippines major television networks are paid to broadcast events at Catholic parishes. These special events include the reading of the seven last words, the recitation of the Stations of the Cross, and the service of the Commemoration of the Lord’s Prayer.

In many countries with a strong Christian tradition such as Canada, Brazil, Chile, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom the day is observed as a public or federal holiday. In most English speaking countries, most stores are closed for the day. Did you know that the Republic of Ireland prohibits all alcohol from being sold on Good Friday? Have a Good Friday day.