Good Friday is one of the key dates in the Christian calendar and marks the start of the Easter Weekend. While most of us associate Good Friday and Easter with a bank holiday and the exchange of chocolate eggs, there’s a lot more to the story of Jesus dying on the cross.
Good Friday falls on April 2, as the Easter weekend is earlier than usual this year.
Easter is a yearly tradition which celebrates the death and resurrection of Christ, and also marks the end of Lent.
The UK commemorates the event with a four-day bank holiday, and churches across the country celebrate with special services.
In the UK, special church services, music, candlelight, flowers and ringing of church bells are all used to mark the occasion.
Alongside Christmas, Easter is one of the most important events for Christians and is celebrated in a variety of ways across the world.
On the morning of Good Friday, Jesus was taken by Roman Governor Pontius Pilate, who asked the crowd which, out of Jesus and an insurrectionist, Barabbas, should be released, they chose Barabbas.
Pilate washed his hands in water to signify he did not wish to have a part in his death.
Jesus was marched with his cross on his back to the site of his execution.
When put on the cross Jesus survived for six hours, commending his spirit to God as he died.
Then on Easter Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead, with his followers finding his tomb empty.
Regardless of the events which took place on that day, the death of Christ is seen as a decisive turning point for worshippers of Christianity.
Known commonly as the Ultimate Sacrifice, Christians believe Jesus died for our sins, and that the world would be united following his death.