Good Friday in Dominica

Public holiday under Dominican law

Dominica’s Public Holidays Act includes Good Friday in its schedule of public holidays. It treats public holidays as close holidays for public service departments and offices and for business places such as banks, shops and stores; the Act also allows exemptions to be made by order.[1]

Good Friday follows the movable Easter calendar. The Act gives the President powers to appoint public holidays by order, but does not provide a separate substitute day for Good Friday.[1]

Religious meaning

Good Friday commemorates the Passion and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In Catholic observance, the day centres on the reading of the Passion and contemplation of the Cross, within the events leading to Easter.[2]

Work and practical planning

The law’s close-holiday rule covers public service offices and business places, including banks and shops, unless an exemption applies. This gives residents and visitors a sound reason to arrange banking, shopping and official business for another day; individual exemptions may affect particular businesses.[1]

Holiday pay depends on an employee’s entitlement under labour law. For an employee entitled to a paid holiday, the Labour Standards Act reduces that week’s working hours by the hours normally worked on the holiday. It also sets conditions for holiday pay, including reporting for work on the last working day before and the first working day after the holiday.[3]