Jesus Christ was crucified on Good Friday. So why is it called ‘good’?

Good Friday is considered to be a day of penance and remembrance

Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. According to the New Testament accounts, Jesus was crucified on a Friday, which is now commemorated as Good Friday by Christians around the world. It a solemn day for Christians, typically observed with sombre and reflective activities that focus on the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.

Good Friday is considered to be a day of sorrow, penance and fasting. In many Christian communities, Good Friday services are held in churches where Jesus' crucifixion is remembered through readings, hymns, and prayers. A reading of the Passion narrative is often included in these services as it describes the events leading up to Jesus' death, as well as his last words from the cross. Some Christians choose to fast or abstain from meat as a form of penance on Good Friday.

If Good Friday is a day of sorrow and remembrance, it begs the question – why is it called “Good” Friday?

Good Friday is called "good" because of the religious significance of the day for Christians, who believe that Jesus’s death on the cross was the ultimate sacrifice for humanity's sins. For Christians, this sacrifice represents the ultimate act of love and redemption, and it is good because it marks the start of his resurrection on Easter, which is the most important religious holiday for Christians.

Another theory is that the “good” in Good Friday refers to the word’s original Old English meaning, where it means holy. Therefore, Good Friday is also sometimes called Holy Friday.