Utah could soon add another state holiday: Good Friday

SALT LAKE CITY — There are a number of states in the U.S. that recognize Good Friday as a legal holiday, but Utah is not one of them. That could soon change.

A bill sponsored by Sen. Keven Stratton, R-Orem, SB193, would add Good Friday to the list of official state holidays in Utah.

Stratton said this bill is "the second of a two-session effort to recognize the great religious diversity that we have here in the state."

Last year, Stratton passed a bill that created a number of state "holy days" recognizing and honoring traditions from different cultures and religions.

One of the reasons Stratton has supported these pieces of legislation, he said, is because he believes in the importance of religious liberty.

What it would look like for Good Friday to be a holiday

According to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "Good Friday commemorates the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. It is solemnly observed in many Christian religions through fasting and formal services."

Good Friday takes place on the Friday before Easter Sunday.

If the bill passes, Good Friday would be like any other state holiday, where it would be designated as a day off for companies and institutions that decide to take it off.

"Currently, we have 12 state holidays, and it would add another day. You know, you have Thanksgiving and Christmas, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth, July 24, July 4. Some of those, many of those are state and national holidays," Stratton said.

He added that having the Friday off before Easter could combine with some schools' spring breaks to help families have that time together.

Stratton said this is a holiday would be family-friendly and help "strengthen the traditions that hold us all together, knit us as a society."

There are currently 12 states that designate Good Friday as a legal holiday, including Hawaii, Texas, Indiana, North Dakota, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Florida, Connecticut, Delaware and New Jersey.

Why Good Friday is significant

Stratton said that Good Friday is a "traditional sacred and holy day for those associated with the Christian faith," and added that a majority of people in the state belong to Christian denominations.

Last year, the Deseret News spoke to the Rev. Stephen Tilley, a Catholic priest at St. John the Baptist Parish in Draper about what the day means for Catholics.

"Good Friday is not a day of obligation for Catholics," the Rev. Tilley said. "It is a very sacred day for us, you know, all the diocese employees would receive the day off. It's a day dedicated to fasting and prayer."

The Rev. Tilley also explained that Good Friday is part of the Paschal Triduum, which also includes Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday.

He added that Good Friday "is a day where we reflect deeply on the selfless and sacrificial love that Jesus Christ gave us on the cross."

An emphasis on religious liberty

Stratton said that he believes emphasizing Good Friday as a holiday and elevating a variety of holy days helps strengthen religious liberty in the state.

"Religious liberty is the taproot of all our freedoms, and as we honor that, we really strengthen our society," Stratton said.

The senator also shared that he believes this will help strengthen Utah's families.

"The strength of society is found in our families," the senator said. "In our society the family and the family structure is under attack and religious liberty is under attack."

Stratton said that when we focus on religious liberty and respect people of all religions, it helps society have "sound discussions from different points of view in a respectful, kind, charitable way that help lead to the best solutions."

What are the state holy days?

Last year, Stratton sponsored a bill to create official state "holy days" recognizing a number of important days from different cultures and religions. The bill passed.

That legislation added 12 holy days:

• Holi
• Lunar New Year
• Good Friday
• Easter Sunday
• Eid al-Fitr
• Passover
• Vesak Day
• Eid al-Adha
• Rosh Hashana
• Yom Kippur
• Diwali
• Christmas

These "holy days" are not all legal holidays but are recognized as days with religious significance that the state's employers and schools should take note of when creating schedules.

Stratton said he is open to adding more holy days to this list.

"The door is open; we want to be sensitive to that. If anybody is feeling like we have a gap, let's talk about it," the senator said.

The creation of these holy days allows Utah's state employees to take one of these days off each year to observe the state holy day.

It does not require schools or workplaces to close on holy days, but advocates suggest the state should at least require that schools and workplaces accommodate observants.

What other days could potentially become holidays?

Whenever the discussion of a new legal holiday comes up, people always have suggestions for other days that could also become holidays.

Some suggestions that people make include the day after the Super Bowl and the day after Halloween.

Another bill is currently moving through the Legislature to add a different state holiday. HB104, sponsored by Rep. Ryan Wilcox, R-Ogden, would add Election Day, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, as a state holiday.

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