Before Easter Sunday, what does 'Good Friday' really mean?

Good Friday is observed on the Friday before Easter Sunday. On this day Christians commemorate the passion, or suffering, and death on the cross of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

Many Christians spend this day in fasting, prayer, repentance, and meditation on the agony and suffering of Christ on the cross.

The biblical account of Jesus' death on the cross, or crucifixion, his burial and his resurrection, or raising from the dead, can be found in the following passages of Scripture: Matthew 27:27-28:8; Mark 15:16-16:19; Luke 23:26-24:35; and John 19:16-20:30.

YAY it’s Good Friday, which is clearly good because most of us are off today.

But, let’s be honest, why it’s good and why it’s a holiday at all is a mystery to many of us. It has something to do with the death, or the rising again, of Jesus wasn’t it? But what does it have to do with eating seafood? And why is Woolies closed?

At news.com.au we’re here to clear up your Good Friday confusions and answer the questions you were too concerned to ask lest you show yourself up as someone who doesn’t go to church. Like religiously.

So, to begin …

WHAT IS GOOD FRIDAY, ANYWAY?

If this was Who Wants to be a Millionaire, this question would be worth a mere $100. On Good Friday, Roman governor Pontius Pilate presided over the trial that condemned Jesus.

Unable to pass down a sentence of death, Pilate washed his hands — which is where the famous saying comes from — and let Jesus be taken away for crucifixion anyway to satisfy the baying crowd.

It was not a good day for a fair trial.

It wasn’t until Easter Sunday that he rose again. This probably made for a particularly miserable Saturday as well.

YAY it’s Good Friday, which is clearly good because most of us are off today.

But, let’s be honest, why it’s good and why it’s a holiday at all is a mystery to many of us. It has something to do with the death, or the rising again, of Jesus wasn’t it? But what does it have to do with eating seafood? And why is Woolies closed?

At news.com.au we’re here to clear up your Good Friday confusions and answer the questions you were too concerned to ask lest you show yourself up as someone who doesn’t go to church. Like religiously.

So, to begin …

GEE, YOU’LL BE TELLING ME EASTER ISN’T IN THE BIBLE NEXT.

You may need to sit down. I hate to break this to you, but there is no mention of Easter in the bible. In fact, it’s probably more accurate to call Easter Sunday, Resurrection Sunday, but it just doesn’t have the same ring.

It’s widely thought the name Easter derives from the Angle-Saxon goddess Eostre. In the 8th century, festivals were held by pagans in the goddess’ honour.

As these disappeared they were replaced by the Christian tradition marking the death and rebirth of Jesus but they took on a number of the pagan traditions.

The whole bunny thing is even more obscure. It was a symbol often found in medieval churches. Animals were also choc-full in pagan myths and Eostre possibly had some hares as her animal companions.

Easter eggs were first decorated in the area which is now Iraq and were painted red as a symbol of Christ’s crucifixion. Both rabbits and eggs are fertility symbols which chimes well with the theme of rebirth.

BUT IT’S CLEARLY NOT AS BIG A DEAL AS CHRISTMAS

When it comes to holidays, Christmas wins hands down. Particularly in Australia where heading off to the coast on Christmas Eve and not returning until the hangovers have subsided after Australia Day is one’s patriotic duty.

But, Jesus-wise, Easter wins. “Certainly, Christmas has long been perceived as a more popular festival, certainly since the advent of gift giving in a big way since the 19th century,” said Prof Mews. “In religious terms, however, Christmas only evolved in the fourth century, while the celebration of Easter has always been important.”

“Only two out of four Gospels tell the Christmas story [so] theologically, Easter is central to the Christian tradition.”

While many see Easter Sunday as the culmination of Easter, the entire period from Good Friday to Sunday is equally significant.

BUT WE HAVE TO EAT FISH ON GOOD FRIDAY, RIGHT?

If you ask the sellers down at the heaving Sydney Fish Market that certainly seems the case. People started queuing at 5am today with 55,000 fish mad customers expected to snap up more than 440 tonnes of seafood.

“It’s a massive, massive workload,” Musumeci Seafood’s part-owner Con Doukas told the Inner West Courier. “To give you an idea, you probably go through an equivalent of a week of sales just in that one day.”

However, while the tradition certainly has religious roots its popularity has been boosted by some business savvy. Every Friday, not just the Good variety, is considered one where Christians tried to avoid extravagance and embrace sacrifice, said Prof Mews. With meat, for many centuries, being a luxury it was an easy extravagance to forego.

“Eating fish on a Friday was an indirect reminder of Christ’s offering himself as a sacrifice on the cross. It made the feast on Easter Sunday morning all the more important.

“Not eating meat on Good Friday was standard Catholic tradition in the middle ages, but it continued under Queen Elizabeth and in Anglican tradition, in part because of the continued influence of the fish industry.”

OK, BUT WHY CAN’T WE GO SHOPPING?

You can, it’s just not that easy. In years gone by, both Good Friday and Easter Sunday saw shops close. But as trading hours have gradually loosened, Easter Sunday closing has begun to fray while Good Friday has held out — perhaps because the Friday is a day of mourning while Sunday is a celebration of rebirth.

Almost all chain stores, including supermarkets and bottle-os, will be shut across the country on Friday. That is with the exception of the ACT because, you know, Canberra.

Generally, smaller stores are allowed to trade on Good Friday but many choose to close anyway.

But one thing you can buy, of course, is booze. Restrictions vary — in Queensland and WA you can only drink with a meal but in NSW and Victoria it’s open slather until 10pm. Takeaway liquor is a big no-no but there is a loophole in NSW. If you live near a microbrewery (don’t we all?), you can takeaway a growler or two.

So, this Easter, if you fancy a cup of the blood of Christ don’t try and turn water into wine, just head to the nearest hotel. # This story has not been edited by FnF staff and is originally written by Benedict Brook for news.com