Good Friday and Easter are here again. Christians around the world are marking their holiest days. As most people know, Good Friday is the day when Jesus Christ, God’s only son, laid down his life and was killed on the cross. According to the Bible, he did this to take the punishment that man rightfully deserves for his sins. And Easter, the Sunday right after Good Friday, was the day when Jesus came back from the dead. He did this to show his power over death.

That seems straightforward enough but naturally, a few questions abound. Why is that Friday called good when something so awful happened? The Answers community has some thoughts on that. Paladin notes that it was originally called “Gottes Freitag” or God’s Friday. And this eventually became Good Friday in English. shinnsei also notes that in Christian traditions like Eastern Orthodoxy, it’s known as Holy Friday.

Nevertheless, Good is still an appropriate term to label that Friday because as The Darkness Returns points out, the good represents the good gift of salvation brought forth by the martyrdom of Jesus.

Okay then, what about Easter? Where did that name come from? Skytide explains that early Christian celebrations of Christ’s resurrection coincided with a pagan festival of the Godess Eostre and the name and some of the traditions were absorbed into Christian celebrations. In addition, Sweet n Sour explains that the traditions of the Easter bunny and eggs have its originsin German traditions.

Well, I certainly know better now how all these ‘extras’ got attached to the celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection. Just wanted to wish all Christians out there a meaningful time of reflection and worship as you celebrate Good Friday and Easter.

Cheers,