Good Friday

When is Good Friday 2023?

Good Friday 2023 falls on Friday, 7 April.

Good Friday 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026

Good Friday FAQ

Is Good Friday a public holiday?

Yes, Good Friday is a public holiday in every state in Australia.

History of Good Friday

Australia celebrates Easter differently than many other countries in the world.

Instead of celebrating the beginning of spring like those in the Northern Hemisphere, due to the fact that the seasonal order is reversed, Australia celebrates Easter in the fall harvest season.

This religious holiday commemorates Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead, as recounted in the New Testament Bible.

In addition to celebrating Christianity’s most important holiday, Australian Easters are also popular celebrations with families and friends.

Australian Easter is a long weekend that starts on Good Friday and celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Good Friday Symbolism

Christians believe that this event happened over two thousand years ago, that Jesus came to Earth and taught people about God and that his death and resurrection are the key to finding salvation.

In 33 AD, the Bible records that Jesus was falsely accused of being a heretic and a troublemaker.

He was sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate and on the Friday of that weekend he was killed by being nailed to a wooden cross.

As the next day was the Jewish Sabbath, his body was removed at the end of Friday and placed in a tomb.

On the following Sunday, now known as Easter Sunday, friends visited the tomb to embalm Jesus’ body.

Despite the tomb being sealed by a rock and with armed Roman guards on duty, Jesus Christ had risen from the grave.

It is unclear when Good Friday and Easter were first celebrated, but there are some hints that suggest they may have originated around the mid-second century.

This long weekend, Christians and non-Christians alike can gather with friends and family to celebrate the Easter holiday

Good Friday Celebrations

For believers, Good Friday is a day of rejoicing, while for those who don’t follow Christianity, it’s an opportunity to relax and enjoy the beautiful Australian weather before winter sets in.

Easter weekend is a time for celebration, and there are several notable events occurring around the nation during this time.

Some of the most popular sports include horse races and AFL games, both of which are sure to get people’s attention.

Additionally, there are several other interesting events happening that weekend. Find out more about them below!

How to Celebrate Good Friday 2023

Watch the Yacht Race

One such event is the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race, which is an annual boat race that spans hundreds of miles.

The race starts on Good Friday and features between 40-100 boats starting from the beautiful Moreton Bay area in Queensland and ending in Gladstone.

Beginning in 1949, the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race was a historic event. It started on Good Friday with seven vessels at first.

Two of these boats had radios aboard, and the Homing Pigeon Club provided pigeons for position reporting.

Each yacht was supplied with two birds each day, which were then released. Thanks to this race’s popularity, it has been celebrated annually ever since!

Nowadays, modern technology has only made the race easier to enjoy.

Instead of radios and homing pigeons, the race now features 360 degree HD cameras and a fleet of spectator boats that provide a thrilling view of the race from every possible angle.

There’s an online tracker on the yacht race website that provides real time updates on the positions of each boat and the footage from the cameras can be streamed to any device through the Internet.

The race will also be recorded and preserved on the yacht race website so that you can watch it as many times as you want, with family and friends.

There’s even footage from previous races on the website, so if this is your first time watching the race and you’d like to see some of the greatest moments of previous years, it’s all there waiting for you!

So get ready for an amazing race celebrating one of the oldest and most thrilling challenges of the year, brought to you through the power of modern technology!

Eat delicious food

Hot cross buns are a delicious little bread that is traditionally eaten on Good Friday. Some recipes add cocoa to the dough and replace the dried fruit with chocolate chips.

All hot cross buns are marked on the top with a cross. The cross is sometimes cut into the top of the bun and sometimes made with a different, paler dough.

Some people enjoy just eating them as they are, while others split them in half, toast them, spread them with butter, jam or cream and eat them warm!

From store-bought rolls to specially crafted bakery rolls, hot cross buns are a unique and delicious experience!

Good Friday 2023 Dinner

Fish dishes are popular for Good Friday dinner, as many who observe the holiday for religious reasons have sworn off red meat for a time.

So Good Friday might be an excellent time to try Australia’s famed fish and chips, or some excellent salmon with lemon and herbs.

Other fish dishes, like battered cod, or a delicate white fish with vegetables, can be great choices too. Other kinds of seafood are also popular, such as grilled prawns, calamari, and crab cakes.

Besides these amazing foods, there are still plenty of delicious options to try.

A traditional Australian barbecue is always a hit on Good Friday, with sausages, steaks, kebabs, and even burgers.

The holidays are always a great time for new foods, so try something new and have a blast!

If you have any ideas for celebrating Good Friday in 2023, we’d love to hear more, so feel free to post in the comments below! 

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