The history has been tainted by the passage of time as to why we call it good. I won't go into any detail here because there have been many, many things written and recorded that theorize the reasons. The one that seems most logical to me is that it is a corruption of "God Friday." This seems to fit typical English corruption of various phrases which were once common that referred to the Deity such as "goodbye" or, "goodness."
In many traditions throughout the world it is known as Holy Friday. I personally think it would be a better way to refer to this day which is not one of celebration, but one of contemplation and prayer focused on the supreme sacrifice God made on our behalf. In that sense -- the focus on God -- it is "God Friday."
I would encourage you to read through the gospel accounts of Jesus' last days on this day of commemoration. For reference, the readings practiced by the Byzantine Christians in what they refer to as the "Matins of the Twelve Passion Gospels" is a good place to start. They are listed below:
- John 13:31 - 18:1
- John 18:1 - 18:28
- Matthew 26:57-26:75
- John 18:28 - 19:16
- Matthew 27:3 - 27:32
- Mark 15:16 - 15:32
- Matthew 27:33 - 27:54
- Luke 23:32 - 23:49
- John 19:25 - 19:37
- Mark 15:43 - 15:47
- John 19:38 - 19:42
- Matthew 27:62 - 27:66
May your contemplation be filled with the presence of God.
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