Good Friday

Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus and is one of the most visually striking dates in Malta’s religious year. Towns and villages stage solemn processions with statues representing the Passion, participants in biblical costume and bands playing funeral marches. The traditions are devotional, but they are also a highly developed form of local public theatre.

Unlike a fixed date, Good Friday moves with Western Easter. Its status as a paid public holiday lets families and parishes dedicate the day to preparation, worship and remembrance. The character of each procession belongs to its community, which is why a visitor will find different music, statues and atmospheres in Valletta, Żejtun, Mosta and many other localities.

Malta’s processions developed different sets of Passion statues and biblical participants in each locality, supported by confraternities, volunteers and band clubs. The following Easter Sunday celebrations change the mood dramatically, but Sunday is not separately listed among Malta’s fourteen national and public holidays because it already falls on weekly rest.

Good Friday remains on its named calendar date. Under Malta’s current employment rules, when a national or public holiday falls on Saturday, Sunday or another weekly rest day, an equivalent day is added to the employee’s annual vacation-leave entitlement rather than the holiday being universally moved to Monday.