Falling on the Friday before Easter, Good Friday or Holy Friday is one of the most significant festivals of Christians. It is this day when Jesus Christ left his mortal form, after being crucified at a hill near Jerusalem. This day is meant to commemorate Jesus’ death and hence, is treated as a day of sorrow and atonement by the Christian community. Although, Good Friday has been the most dreadful day in the history of the Christians, yet it is celebrated with great enthusiasm throughout the nation.
As per the Christian literature, this day falls in the last week of Lent which is also known as ‘Holy Week’ that begins with Maundy Thursday and ends with Easter Sunday. According to the Gregorian calendar, Good Friday will take place on 29th March 2024.
Good Friday History and Significance
Good Friday 2024
Although Good Friday is nowhere mentioned in the holy Bible, there is a verse stating about the crucifixion of Christ on this day. Soon after Jesus got arrested in Gethsemane in Jerusalem, the chief priests; Pontius Pilate and Herod trialled him for a number of times followed by which he was crucified. In the last week of Lent, Jesus died on a Friday which was later declared as Good Friday or Black Friday.
According to legends, Joseph of Arimathea asked chief priests for obtaining Jesus’ body and was permitted to do so. Later, Joseph wrapped Christ’s body in a clean linen cloth and placed it into a tomb. Right after two-days, Jesus resurrected as a supernatural entity on the first day of Eastertide which is observed as Easter Sunday.
Good Friday Celebrations in India
Good Friday 2024
As stated above, it is mainly associated with the Christian community of the world. It is observed as a day to remember that Jesus Christ paid for the sins of his followers by giving away his own life. Christians visit churches and light candles in front of Christ’s idol, on this day.
Devotees take part in the Holy Mass which includes offering prayers to the mighty son of God, Christ. Also, there are a few Christian communities that offer stage performances based on the life and death of Christ.
Also, many people practice fast that prohibits them from eating non-vegetarian food, including dairy products.
Best Places to Observe the Celebration of Good Friday in India
- Goa
- Kerala
- Meghalaya
- Nagaland
- Tamil Nadu
- Kolkata
Other Festivals in India with Holiday Type
| Festivals in India | Day | Date | Holiday Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Mon | 01-Jan | Restricted Holiday |
| Lohri | Sat | 13-Jan | Restricted Holiday |
| Makar Sankranti | Sun | 14-Jan | Restricted Holiday |
| Pongal | Mon | 15-Jan | Restricted Holiday |
| Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti | Wed | 17-Jan | Restricted Holiday |
| Republic Day | Fri | 26-Jan | Gazetted Holiday |
| Losar | Sat | 10-Feb | Restricted Holiday |
| Basant Panchmi | Wed | 14-Feb | Restricted Holiday |
| Guru Ravidas Jayanti | Sat | 24-Feb | Gazetted Holiday |
| Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti | Wed | 6-Mar | Restricted Holiday |
| Mahashivratri | Fri | 8-Mar | Gazetted Holiday |
| Holi | Mon | 25-March | Gazetted Holiday |
| Good Friday | Fri | 29-Mar | Gazetted Holiday |
| Easter Day | Sun | 31-Mar | Restricted Holiday |
| Gudi Padwa | Tue | 9-Apr | Restricted Holiday |
| Eid-ul-Fitr | Wed | 10-Apr | Gazetted Holiday |
| Vaisakhi (Vishu) | Sat | 13-Apr | Restricted Holiday |
| Rama Navami | Wed | 17-Apr | Gazetted Holiday |
| Mahavir Jayanti | Sun | 21-Apr | Gazetted Holiday |
| Rabindra Jayanti | Wed | 8-May | Restricted Holiday |
| Buddha Purnima (Vesak) | Thu | 23-May | Gazetted Holiday |
| Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) | Mon | 17-Jun | Restricted Holiday |
| Rath Yatra | Sun | 7-Jul | Gazetted Holiday |
| Muharram (Ashura) | Wed | 17-Jul | Gazetted Holiday |
| Independence Day | Thu | 15-Aug | Gazetted Holiday |
| Parsi New Year’s Day (Nauraz) | Thu | 15-Aug | Public Holiday |
| Raksha Bandhan (Rakhi) | Mon | 19-Aug | Restricted Holiday |
| Janmashtami | Mon | 26-Aug | Restricted Holiday |
| Ganesh Chaturthi | Sat | 7-Sep | Restricted Holiday |
| Onam | Sun | 15-Sep | Restricted Holiday |
| Milad-un-Nabi or Id-e- Milad | Mon | 16-Sep | Gazetted Holiday |
| Gandhi Jayanti | Wed | 02-Oct | Gazetted Holiday |
| Dussehra | Sat | 12-Oct | Gazetted Holiday |
| Valmiki Jayanti | Thu | 17-Oct | Restricted Holiday |
| Karva Chauth | Sun | 20-Oct | Gazetted Holiday |
| Dhanteras | Tue | 29-Oct | Restricted Holiday |
| Kali Puja | Thu | 31-Oct | Gazetted Holiday |
| Halloween Day | Thu | 31-Oct | No Holiday |
| Diwali | Fri | 1-Nov | Gazetted Holiday |
| Lakshmi Puja | Fri | 1-Nov | Gazetted Holiday |
| Karnataka Rajyotsava | Fri | 1-Nov | Gazetted Holiday |
| Kerala Piravi | Fri | 1-Nov | Gazetted Holiday |
| Govardhan Puja | Sat | 2-Nov | Gazetted Holiday |
| Bhai Dooj | Sun | 3-Nov | Gazetted Holiday |
| Chhath Puja | Thu | 7-Nov | Gazetted Holiday |
| Guru Nanak Jayanti | Fri | 15-Nov | Gazetted Holiday |
| Christmas | Wed | 25-Dec | Public Holiday |
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