Originally Posted by George Knighton
In the Christian religious calendar, the Friday before Easter is the darkest day of Lent, the day that Christ died and descended into Hell to defeat it.
Being off on Friday these days is a little unusual, but to Christians it would make more sense than being off on Monday.
For whatever it's worth, this is one of the few Easters that all of Christianity celebrates it at the same time.
I can see the point you make of the Friday before Easter. I'm Christian myself, but speaking from the college student's point of view, it's tough on us to try to get together with family on Easter Sunday, then have to drive a long distance to prepare for classes the next day. I see more and more students not even going home and treating Easter like an extended weekend.
It's hard in this day in age to even classify any holiday as a day that's needed off. Where do church and state truly seperate?