Good Friday 2025: All you need to know about day’s meaning, why Christians observe Good Friday before Easter and more

Good Friday 2025: With Easter just around the corner, Christians worldwide are preparing to observe Good Friday. But many may not fully understand the meaning behind this solemn day, why it’s commemorated annually, or the traditions associated with it. If you and your loved ones are observing Good Friday this year, here’s a quick guide to what it’s all about.

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Good Friday 2025: When is Good Friday?

Good Friday is annually observed on the Friday before Easter and marks the day Jesus was crucified and died. This year, it falls on April 18, 2025.

Good Friday 2025: Why and how do Christians observe Good Friday?

According to Britannica, Good Friday has been recognised as a day of mourning, penance, and fasting by Christians since the early days of faith. While some believe the term Good Friday reflects the day's sacred significance, others suggest the name stems from its status as a religious observance.

Good Friday is commemorated as a part of Paschal Triduum – a period of three days that begins with Maundy Thursday (the last Supper of Jesus Christ), reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil, and closes with evening prayer on Easter Sunday.

Christians mark Good Friday by fasting, giving alms to the needy, and attending church services. During this time, people pray that they may be liberated from pain, suffering and agony in their lives. A central ritual on this day is the Service of the Great Three Hours' Agony, held from noon to 3 pm —a time traditionally believed, as noted in the Bible. It marks the hours of darkness that fell over the land during Jesus’s crucifixion.

Good Friday 2025: History

Meanwhile, the New Testament says Good Friday is observed when the Romans crucified Jesus Christ. Jewish religious leaders condemned Jesus for blasphemy for claiming to be the Son of God. They brought him to the Romans, and their leader, Pontius Pilate, sentenced Jesus to crucifixion.

The Biblical records say that Jesus was beaten publicly and forced to carry a heavy wooden cross through the streets amid a jeering crowd. Finally, he was nailed to the cross by his wrists and feet, where he was left hanging on the cross until he died. His death is a sacrifice meant to absorb the sins of humanity and to allow the followers to re-enter a relationship with God, his Father.