25 Good Friday Facts That You Need to Know

Spring is on its way, and with it comes the arrival of holidays like Easter Sunday and Good Friday. While Easter gets most of our attention, Good Friday has its own unique history and traditions worth learning more about. The Christian holiday, which will take place on April 2 this year, inspires many unique celebrations around the globe as well as some interesting superstitions worth sharing with your family before you start your egg hunt or sit down to your holiday dinner.

For example, Germany and New Zealand have some interesting laws in place for the occasion, and certain legends say eggs and buns from this day are everlasting. (Although we wouldn't recommend testing that for yourself!) So before the Easter bunny gets here, let's dig into all the special aspects about Good Friday that makes this celebration a unique holiday. From its storied origins to the surprising ways it's celebrated around the world, here are all the fun Good Friday facts that you should to know.

Since Easter is a "moveable feast," Good Friday similarly shifts dates from year to year. It all comes down to the lunar calendar, specifically the first full moon to occur after the spring equinox. Good Friday is celebrated the following Friday, with Easter Sunday just after it. Good thing your calendar calculates it for you!

These sweet, dense treats traditionally eaten on Good Friday are said to be packed with some serious good luck. Superstitions say that buns baked on holiday will never spoil, protect against shipwrecks, and will protect your home from fire.

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According to an old legend, people who share a hot cross bun will remain good friends for a year if they say a special rhyme while enjoying the treat: "Half for you and half for me, between us two shall goodwill be."

Grab the scissors! According to superstition, getting a haircut on Good Friday prevents headaches for the rest of the year.

Every year, the open-air play "The Passion of Jesus" is put on in London's Trafalgar Square, which you can watch via a live stream on Facebook.

This custom is a little different than the American custom of dying eggs. Before sunrise, the tradition goes that you crack an egg and add just the egg white to a glass of water. As the rising sun heats the egg, patterns form in the glass, which elders believe predicts the way in which you will die.

The streets of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala are filled with "alfrombras," or religious art made out of colorful sawdust.

On a particularly slow news day in 1930, BBC radio announced, "There is no news." Listeners then heard piano music for the rest of the day.

Some schools and banks may be closed, but Good Friday isn't actually observed across the country. Only 12 states acknowledge this Good Friday.

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Thanks to Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the Caribbean nation in 2012, the Cuban government granted his request to make Good Friday an official holiday, allowing people to stay home and observe this sacred day.

Dancing is prohibited on this sacred holiday, forcing nightclubs to close or risk being fined £1,000 (about $1,300). They take Good Friday so seriously that they even refer to it as Sorrowful Friday.

Ireland celebrates Good Friday in a more optimistic way, spending the day looking out for specific signs. It's also believed that eggs laid on this day will never rot. Some people even hold onto eggs for decades just to prove the myth.

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The Irish also have a tradition of marking eggs with a holy cross and having each family member eat one on Easter Sunday. Doing this will help bring good health and luck in the next year.

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For almost a century, Ireland banned alcohol sales on Good Friday. Lifting this long-time Christian tradition was good news for the economy as tourism traditionally peaks during Easter. Cheers!

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Bermuda takes Good Friday to new heights every year with its famous kitefest. Both locals and tourists flock to the beach to enjoy a day full of easter egg hunts, delicious Bermudian food, and colorful kites.

Depending on your beliefs, Lent (a 40-day religious sacrifice period) ends on Good Friday, but also may conclude on the Thursday before or Saturday after. The true finale is debated each and every year.

According to the Broadcasting Act, TV and radio ads are prohibited between 6 a.m. and noon on Good Friday in New Zealand, out of respect for the religious day of observance. The same law holds true on Christmas, Easter Sunday, and Anzac Day.

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Devoted Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 are expected to fast on Good Friday. According to the Conference of Catholic Bishops, fasting permits one full meal, as well as two smaller meals. If possible, this fast should last until the Easter vigil on Holy Saturday night.

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There are numerous theories behind the name Good Friday, but none are backed by valid evidence. Many believe that the "Good" means "Holy," while others are convinced that "Good" is used in replace of "God." Each country and language seems to have their own unique interpretation and translation.

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We may know the Friday before Easter as Good Friday, but other countries refer to this day as Easter Friday, Holy Friday, Great Friday, Silent Friday, among other names.

Churches across the world ring in the special day with 33 bells tolls in remembrance of Christ's years on Earth and to also commemorate his death.

Authors Andreas Köstenberger and Justin Taylor did their history homework and found that the very first Good Friday was Friday, April 3, A.D. 33.

Traditionally, there is no mass or celebration of Eucharist on Good Friday. Rather, the absence of mass honors the Passion and passing of Christ.

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The Thursday before Good Friday is known as Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday — deriving from the Latin word mandatum, meaning commandment. This symbolizes the commandment given by Jesus at the Last Supper.

The Saturday after Good Friday and before Easter Sunday is known as Holy Saturday. Furthermore, the entire week before Easter, starting on Palm Sunday, is called the Holy Week.