Good Friday in Vanuatu

Meaning and Vanuatu’s Christian history

For Christians, Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus. It falls on the Friday before Easter, so its date changes from year to year.[3]

Vanuatu’s Christian history provides context for the holiday. The Vanuatu Tourism Office records that Catholic, Presbyterian and Anglican missionaries worked across the islands from the nineteenth century, and that mission stations existed in various parts of the islands by the 1860s. A study published by ANU Press describes Christianity’s growth as a process shaped by local accommodation and adaptation.[4][5]

What the law says

Vanuatu’s Public Holidays Act lists Good Friday among the country’s public holidays. The Act also says the President may, on the Prime Minister’s advice, declare additional public holidays.[1]

The Act does not order every business to close automatically on Good Friday. It allows the President to order stores, shops and other businesses to close on a public holiday, either throughout Vanuatu or in specified places. If such an order applies, the Act provides exceptions for medicines, certain essential goods sold before noon, and refreshments sold for consumption on the premises.[1]

The Act provides a substitute public holiday on Monday when a listed holiday falls on Sunday.[1]

Planning around the holiday

Good Friday is a public holiday, and the Act allows store-closure orders. Check directly with the service or business you plan to use, especially for travel and essential purchases.[1]

Good Friday services, fasting practices, customary meals and regional celebrations differ among communities in Vanuatu; check with a local church for its schedule if you want to attend.[4][5]