Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, and Black Friday, is the day for Christians to commemorate Jesus’s crucifixion and his death at Calvary. This day falls on the sixth day of the Holy Week, towards the end of Lent, as part of the Paschal Triduum. The Good Friday date differs every year in both the Gregorian and Julian calendars. Most people believe Easter occurs on the Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon, and Good Friday is marked on the preceding Friday. In 2023, Good Friday falls on Friday, April 7, while Easter falls on Sunday, April 9. As per religious beliefs, it’s believed that on this day, Jesus died, carrying the sins of the world along with him. Good Friday is marked in different ways across the globe. On this day, people pray and observe a fast while some take out a procession of the cross, re-enacting the final period of Jesus' life. Here’s Why You Should Not Wish Christians a ‘Happy Good Friday’ on the Holy Friday.

Good Friday 2023 Date

Good Friday 2023 will fall on Friday, April 7.

Good Friday Significance

The most important Good Friday symbol in Christianity is the crucifix or the holy cross. It is a symbol of faith and represents the way in which Jesus died. Good Friday is a legal holiday around the world, including in most Western countries. The story of Good Friday talks about the Passion of Christ. As per the accounts in the Gospels, the royal soldiers, guided by Jesus' disciple Judas Iscariot, arrested Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. For this, Judas received money, i.e., 30 pieces of silver, for betraying Jesus and told the guards that whomever he kisses is the one they are to arrest. Following his arrest, Jesus was taken to the house of Annas, the father-in-law of the high priest, Caiaphas, where he was interrogated.

On Good Friday, Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, put on trial, and sentenced to death after the last supper with his disciples on Maundy Thursday. According to religious texts, Jesus agonized on the cross for six hours. It is said that during his last three hours on the cross, from noon to 3 pm, darkness fell over the entire land. Jesus spoke from the cross, quoting the messianic Psalm 22: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” and with a loud cry, gave up his spirit. When Jesus gave up, there was an earthquake, tombs broke open, and the curtain in the Temple was torn from top to bottom. The centurion on guard at the site of crucifixion declared, "Truly this was God's Son!"

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 06, 2023 09:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).