Good Friday 2023, 2024, 2025, & 2026: Date, History, Significance, Celebration

Good Friday 2023 is observed by Christians on April 7, while Easter Sunday falls on April 9. Good Friday is also known as Holy Friday.

Good Friday is a major festival of Christian community that usually falls in the month of April every year, as per the Gregorian calendar. It is the day on which Jesus Christ was crucified at the Roman Calvary where he later died. Fasting on this day and participating in the church services are some famous practices related to this day.

This day is actually a mourning day after the death of Jesus Christ. Important details related to Good Friday in 2023 such as significance, upcoming date, observance, etc are discussed in this article here. This year, Good Friday will fall on April 7, 2023. To know more keep reading.

2023 Good Friday Overview

Day	Good Friday
Also popular as	Great Friday, Holy Friday, Great and Holy Friday, Black Friday, Holy and Great Friday
Observed by	Christians
Date	April 7
Easter Sunday 2023 Date	April 9
Good Friday 2024 Date	March 29
Good Friday 2025 Date	April 18
Good Friday 2026 Date	April 3

Good Friday 2023 Date

The date of Good Friday varies from one year to the next on both the Gregorian and Julian calendars. Easter falls on the first Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon calculated using the Gregorian calendar and the Friday before Easter is celebrated as Good Friday.

In the year 2023, Good Friday will be observed on 7^th of April. Many countries including India observes Good Friday a public holiday and all Government offices remain close on this day.

Significance of Good Friday

Good Friday is a religious holiday observed by Christians across the world and is a part of the Holy Week. This is the day of mourning as Jesus died for the sins of His children, the people, so that their sins are forgiven and they are liberated from the pain and agony of their lives.

It also signifies that after all the sins of all bad deeds is eliminated with the death of Jesus, a new hope of life will be born on the day of resurrection of Jesus, i.e., on Easter.

Good Friday Practices

Although there are no traditional celebrations are associated with this festival many people observe a fast and offer prayers in churches on the day of Good Friday. On the day of Good Friday 2023, people mourn the death of Jesus Christ following his crucifixion. Good Friday and Holy Saturday, which is the following Saturday, are the day of mourning the loss of Jesus Christ, before He resurrected from the dead.

The day on which Jesus resurrected from the dead is celebrated as Easter Sunday or simply Easter. Preceding the Good Friday is the Maundy Thursday that commemorates the Last Supper that Jesus had before being crucified. The Service of the Great Three Hours’ Agony is also held from noon until 3 pm in some churches. This time period is believed to be a dark period followed by the death of Jesus.

Good Friday and its Related Festivals

The week before Easter 2023 is called the Holy Week and all the days of the week are celebrated as holy days. These days are named as follows- Palm Sunday, Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Spy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday Among these, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday are the most significant days. Check out more details related to these festivals below.

Maundy Thursday– Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday is the fifth day of Holy Week. The day commemorates the Washing of the Feet (Maundy) and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles. It is preceded by Holy Wednesday and is followed by Good Friday. In India, there is a custom to visit fourteen churches on Maundy Thursday evening.
Good Friday 2023– Good Friday marks the day on which Jesus was crucified and later died at the Calvary. This day is observed as sixth day of Holy Week and is also a part of the Paschal Triduum. Also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday or Black Friday, Good Friday is a gazetted holiday in many countries of the world, including India.
Holy Saturday– Holy Saturday, also known as the Great Sabbath or Hallelujah Saturday, it is the final day of Holy Week. It falls between Good Friday and Easter Sunday and is a day of mourning over Jesus’s death. Preparations for Easter Sunday begins from the day of Holy Saturday itself.
Easter Sunday– Known also as Pascha or Resurrection Sunday, Easter is a Christian festival that commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It is believed that on the third day after his death and burial, Jesus resurrected on the day of Easter Sunday.

Summary

Good Friday is one of Christian holidays observed around the world every year. The day is also known as Great Friday, Holy Friday, Holy and Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, and Black Friday.

Members of Christian denominations observe this day with fasting and church services.

Good Fridays date varies by year to year in both Gregorian and Julian calendars.

Prayer and vigil services, Worship services, almsgiving, fasting are quite common on this day.

Are you concerned about whether Good Friday is a holiday in India? All government offices and organizations are closed on this day. Banks are also closed on this day in India except three states including Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan.