One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. –Romans 14:5

By Roger Childs

A holiday around some of the world

Good Friday has tremendous significance for the minority who are devout Christians, but for the majority it is just another holiday tacked on to Easter weekend. It is a public holiday in 29 countries, but in only 13 states in America where there is a much higher proportion of church-going Christians than in New Zealand.

Today there is no paper and the vast majority of shops are shut because of the Shop Trading Hours Act. Businesses, with some exceptions like service stations, may risk prosecution if they open on Good Friday. But there are no such restrictions on Queens Birthday, Labour Day or Waitangi Day.

A moveable feast

Good Friday is remembered by Christians as the time when the Son of God, Jesus Christ, was crucified by the Roman authorities on Calvary (Golgotha) in Jerusalem. For the Christian faithful it is the most solemn day in the church calendar. 

But as we all know, there is a different date every year for Good Friday and Easter. Way back in 325 AD the Council of Nicaea laid down that Easter would be held on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the northern hemisphere’s spring equinox. For New Zealand we had the autumn equinox on 19 March when the “overhead sun” on its way north, was directly above the equator, and the full moon was in the sky. Easter is nigh.

A day of great religious and artistic significance

When I was young, Good Friday was the climax of holy week and was commemorated by all Christian faiths. Most Anglican parishes featured a three hour service from 12.00 — 3.00pm consisting of a series of short sermons on the passion of Christ, hymns, readings and prayers. Worshippers were free to come and go during the singing of the hymns.

Some of those hymns sung on Good Friday and at other times, are amongst the most poignant and meaningful in the rich heritage of sacred music.

 ~ O Sacred Head, Sore Wounded

 ~ When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

 ~ Rock of Ages

 ~ Abide with Me

Not surprisingly, the passion of Christ has been a popular subject for artists and sculptors, often patronised by religious leaders, such as popes, across the ages.  In the pantheon of art iconography, the crucifixion is second only to the Madonna and child as a religious subject. It has been rendered by scores of artists from Giotto di Bondone to Salvador Dali in an amazing range of styles.

Some atheists, agnostics and historians question whether the crucifixion actually happened as the historical record is vague and the biblical gospels that record it were written many decades after the “event”.

However, for devout Christians it has huge significance, but should it be a public holiday when there are restrictions affecting everyone?

Useful lessons from the Americans?

It’s coming to America first, the cradle of the best and of the worst. Leonard Cohen. 

What is done in the United States has had a huge impact on culture and life styles around the world. To what extent this is a positive trend is highly debatable, however sometimes the Americans set good examples.

Individual states can have their own public holidays and in some places they remember Civil War Confederate General Robert E Lee’s birthday and that of Susan B Anthony, the American women’s suffrage pioneer. 

The public holidays observed nation-wide are mainly based around historical events and remembrance:

• Columbus Day
• Independence Day
• George Washington’s Birthday
• Thanksgiving
• Martin Luther King Day
• Memorial Day
• Veterans Day

New Zealand holidays: drop Good Friday?

Since the 1960s when more than 80% of the population identified as “Christians” New Zealand has progressively become a more secular society. So one wonders whether in the 2020s the strongly held opinions of a minority, should determine what happens on Good Friday, as regards having a morning paper to read, a café to frequent with friends and access to the supermarket? 

Many would argue that shop owners and staff deserve a break. However, wouldn’t Labour Day, which commemorates the adoption of the 40 hour working week in New Zealand, be more appropriate?

Perhaps in New Zealand we could have a Kate Sheppard Day on 19 September, to  commemorate the day in 1893 when women were finally given the vote. What about an Edmund Hillary Day on 20 July to remember one of the great New Zealand heroes?

Good Friday remains important

That Jesus was not a Roman citizen, that he suffered a slave’s death, that crucifixion was the most humiliating form of execution imaginable, has always been for Christians – right from the time of Paul – fundamental to their understanding of who he was. –Tom Holland 

Oxford University’s Tom Holland is one of the most respected historians on the planet and this quote sums up the importance of Good Friday for Christians.

 It remains a holiday in New Zealand and in many other countries and American states. One can strongly argue that whatever reasons for change people might raise, we should not tamper with our history and heritage.