Good Friday 2026: Date, History, and Global Observance

When Is Good Friday 2026?

Good Friday 2026 falls on Friday, April 3, 2026. It is part of Holy Week — the final week of Lent — and precedes Easter Sunday, which falls on April 5, 2026.

Good Friday is a moveable feast: its date changes every year because Easter is calculated based on the lunar calendar. The rule, established at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, is that Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox. Good Friday is always two days before Easter Sunday — which makes it a Friday, hence the name.

Good Friday 2026 and Surrounding Holy Week Dates

Why Is It Called "Good Friday"?

The name "Good Friday" comes from the Old English "God's Friday" — a corruption of "God" into "Good" over centuries of use, similar to how "Goodbye" derives from "God be with you." In Christian theology, the day commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and is considered "good" because it represents the redemptive sacrifice that, in Christian belief, opened the path to salvation for humanity.

Other languages make the religious meaning more explicit:

• Spanish: Viernes Santo — Holy Friday
• Portuguese: Sexta-Feira Santa — Holy Friday
• French: Vendredi Saint — Holy Friday
• German: Karfreitag — from Old High German kara (mourning/lamentation) — Mourning Friday
• Italian: Venerdì Santo — Holy Friday
• Latin: Feria Sexta in Passione et Morte Domini — Friday of the Passion and Death of the Lord

Is Good Friday a Public Holiday?

Good Friday is a public holiday in many countries, though observance varies significantly:

Countries where Good Friday is a national public holiday

• United Kingdom — one of only two statutory UK bank holidays (with Christmas Day) that have never moved
• Australia — public holiday in all states and territories; combined with Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday for a four-day weekend
• New Zealand — statutory public holiday
• Canada — federal public holiday; also a provincial holiday in all provinces except Quebec
• Germany — Karfreitag is a public holiday in all 16 states; strict regulations historically limited public entertainment and dancing
• Austria, Switzerland — public holiday
• Brazil — Sexta-Feira Santa is a national holiday
• Philippines — among the most observed Holy Week countries in the world; most businesses close from Holy Wednesday through Easter
• South Africa — public holiday
• Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and most Caribbean nations
• Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania — and most sub-Saharan African nations with significant Christian populations

Countries where Good Friday is NOT a public holiday

• United States — Good Friday is not a federal holiday; some state governments and private businesses observe it, but it is not nationally mandated
• France — Good Friday is only a public holiday in Alsace-Moselle (which has a unique legal status due to German-era law)
• Spain, Italy, Portugal — not a national public holiday in most of these countries, though Holy Week processions (Semana Santa) are major cultural events, especially in Seville, Rome, and Braga
• Mexico — not a national public holiday, though heavily observed culturally
• Most predominantly Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, or Buddhist nations — not observed

How Is Good Friday Observed?

Practices vary widely across Christian denominations and cultures:

• Roman Catholic tradition: Solemn liturgy at 3:00 PM (the traditional hour of the crucifixion), the Veneration of the Cross, and the Stations of the Cross procession. No Mass is celebrated — the only day of the year when this is the case in the Catholic calendar.
• Anglican/Protestant: Services and prayer, often with readings of the Passion narratives from the Gospels. Hot cross buns — spiced buns marked with a cross — are traditionally eaten.
• Eastern Orthodox: Orthodox Easter 2026 falls on April 12 (due to the Julian calendar calculation), so Orthodox Good Friday is April 10, 2026 — one week after Western Good Friday.
• Philippines: The Senakulo passion play is performed in villages; in some towns, devotees participate in physical reenactments of the crucifixion including flagellation and symbolic crucifixion.
• Latin America: Semana Santa (Holy Week) processions, especially in Guatemala (Antigua) and Mexico, draw huge crowds. Streets are decorated with elaborate alfombras (carpets of colored sawdust and flowers).

Good Friday and Business Closures

In countries where Good Friday is a public holiday, expect:

• Banks and government offices closed
• Most retail shops closed (though this varies; large supermarkets in the UK often open with reduced hours)
• Schools closed
• Stock exchanges closed in Australia, Canada, Germany, and the UK
• The NYSE and NASDAQ are closed on Good Friday in the United States, even though it is not a federal holiday — making it one of only nine US trading holidays

Frequently Asked Questions

What date is Good Friday 2026?

Good Friday 2026 is on Friday, April 3, 2026. Easter Sunday is April 5, 2026.

Why does Good Friday change date every year?

Good Friday is two days before Easter Sunday, and Easter is calculated as the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox (March 20 or 21). Because the full moon shifts relative to our calendar each year, Easter — and therefore Good Friday — falls on a different date annually, ranging between March 20 and April 23.

Is Good Friday a federal holiday in the US?

No. Good Friday is not a US federal holiday. Federal employees receive 11 recognized holidays, and Good Friday is not among them. However, the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ are closed on Good Friday, and some state governments, local governments, and private employers choose to observe it.

What is Good Friday called in Spanish?

Good Friday is called Viernes Santo (Holy Friday) in Spanish. Easter Sunday is Domingo de Pascua or Domingo de Resurrección, and Holy Week is Semana Santa.

What is Good Friday called in Portuguese?

In Portuguese it is Sexta-Feira Santa (Holy Friday). Holy Week is Semana Santa in both Spanish and Portuguese.

When is Orthodox Good Friday 2026?

Eastern Orthodox Good Friday 2026 falls on April 10, 2026, one week after Western Good Friday. This is because Eastern Orthodox churches calculate Easter using the Julian calendar, which places Orthodox Easter on April 12, 2026.

Is Good Friday a holiday in Australia?

Yes. Good Friday (April 3, 2026) is a public holiday in all Australian states and territories. Combined with Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday (April 6), it creates a four-day public holiday weekend.

Sources

• US Conference of Catholic Bishops: Easter date calculation
• Church of England: Holy Week liturgy
• UK Government: Bank holidays list 2026
• Australian Government: National public holidays 2026