Holiday Details
- Holiday Name
- Good Friday
- Country
- New Zealand
- Date
- April 3, 2026
- Day of Week
- Friday
- Status
- 90 days away
- About this Holiday
- Good Friday is two days before Easter Sunday and is a public holiday in New Zealand.
Good Friday
New Zealand • April 3, 2026 • Friday
90
Days
09
Hours
03
Mins
45
Secs
until Good Friday
Pacific/Auckland timezone
About Good Friday
Also known as: Good Friday
He Aratohu Comprehensive mō te Paraire Pai ki Aotearoa
Ko te Paraire Pai tētahi o ngā rā tino whakahirahira i roto i te maramataka o Aotearoa. He rā tēnei e maumaharatia ana e te hāhi Karaitiana puta noa i te motu, ā, he rā whakatā ā-ture hoki mō te katoa o te hunga mahi. Ahakoa he rā hāhi te pūtakenga mai, kua noho tēnei hei wāhanga hira o te ahurea o te motu, e tohu ana i te tīmatanga o tētahi rangi whakatā roa e whā ngā rā. He rā mārie tēnei, he rā huritao, ā, he tino rerekē tōna āhua ki te nuinga o ētahi atu rā whakatā nā te mea he tino kaha ngā rāhuitanga tauhokohoko i tēnei rā.
I Aotearoa, he wā tēnei e whakawātea ana te tangata i a ia anō i te pukumahi o te ao o ia rā. He maha ngā whānau e whakamahi ana i tēnei wā ki te huihui, ki te whakanoho i te rā ki te taha o te whānau, ki te haere rānei ki te hāhi. Nā te mea kei te ngahuru tēnei rā i te taha ki te rātū o te ao, he maha ngā wā he āhua raumati tonu te huarere, e tuku ana i te whai wāhitanga ki te iwi kia pai ai te haere ki waho ki te hīkoi, ki te hī ika, ki te whakatā noa iho rānei i mua i te taenga mai o te takurua. Ko te Paraire Pai te tīmatanga o te rātū o te Aranga, ā, he wā tēnei e tino rerekē ai te rere o te ao i roto i ā tātou tāone nui, tāone ririki hoki.
Āhea te Paraire Pai i te tau 2026?
He rā taurangi te Paraire Pai, ko te tikanga ka huri te rā i ia tau, i ia tau. Kei te paheketanga o te marama me te rā e tīmata ai te kōanga i te taha ki te rātū o te ao (equinox) te take e huri ai te rā.
Mō te tau 2026, koinei ngā kōrero mō te rā:
Rā o te wiki: Friday Te rā tonu: April 3, 2026 Te roa ki te rā: He 90 ngā rā e toe ana kia tae atu ki tēnei rā whakatā.
I te mea he rā taurangi, ka taka tonu te Paraire Pai i waenga i te mutunga o te marama o Poutū-te-rangi (March) me te mutunga o te marama o Paenga-whāwhā (April). I te tau 2026, ka taka te rā ki te tīmatanga o Paenga-whāwhā, he wā pai tēnei mō te hunga e hiahia ana ki te rapu i tētahi rā whakatā roa i te mea he tawhiti tonu te takurua.
Te Hītori me te Pūtakenga o te Paraire Pai
Ko te Paraire Pai te rā e maumaharatia ana e te hunga Karaitiana te matenga o Ihu Karaiti i runga i te ripeka. He rā pouri i roto i te hāhi, engari ka kīia he "Pai" (Good) nā te mea, ki tā te whakapono Karaitiana, nā tēnei matenga i puta ai te murunga hara me te whakaoranga mō te tangata. I roto i te reo Ingarihi tawhito, he rite te kupu "Good" ki te kupu "Holy" (Tapu), nō reira ko te tikanga o te ingoa ko te "Paraire Tapu".
I Aotearoa, nō te taenga mai o ngā mihinare me ngā manene nō Ūropi i te rautau tekau mā iwa i mau mai ai tēnei rā whakatā. Mai i taua wā, kua noho tēnei hei rā whakatā ā-ture. Ahakoa kua nui ake te taha ao (secular) o Aotearoa i ēnei rā, kei te mau tonu te tapu o tēnei rā i roto i ngā ture o te motu. He rerekē te Paraire Pai ki te nuinga o ētahi atu rā whakatā nā te mea he tino rāhui te taha tauhokohoko, e whakaatu ana i te hira o tēnei rā ki te pāpori o mua, ā, kei te mau tonu tērā tikanga i tēnei rā.
Ngā Tikanga me te Whakanui i Aotearoa
He maha ngā huarahi e whakanuia ai tēnei rā i Aotearoa, mai i te taha hāhi ki te taha whānau.
Ngā Karakia Hāhi
Mō te hunga whakapono, ko te Paraire Pai tētahi o ngā rā tino tapu o te tau. He maha ngā hāhi e whakahaere ana i ngā kōrero me ngā karakia motuhake. I te nuinga o te wā, ka tīmata ēnei i te poutūmarotanga ki te toru karaka i te ahiahi, koinei hoki te wā e kīia ana i roto i te Paipera ko te wā i mate ai a Ihu. Ngā Teihana o te Ripeka (Stations of the Cross): He maha ngā hāhi Katorika me te mihinare e hīkoi ana i roto i ngā teihana tekau mā whā e whakaatu ana i te haerenga pāmamae o Ihu. Te Whakamoemiti ki te Ripeka: He wā tēnei mō te iwi ki te haere ki mua o te ripeka ki te whakaaro hōhonu mō te matenga o te Karaiti. Karakia Ngātahi: I ētahi tāone, ka hui tahi ngā hāhi rerekē mō tētahi hīkoi ngātahi i te huarahi, e mau ana i tētahi ripeka nui hei tohu mō te kotahitanga.Ngā Tikanga Kai
He tikanga tawhito te kai i te "Hot Cross Bun" i te Paraire Pai. He paina reka tēnei e whai ana i te tohu ripeka i runga ake. I ēnei rā, ka hokona ēnei paina i ngā hokomaha (supermarkets) i te marama kotahi, e rua rānei i mua i te Aranga, engari ko te rā tonu hei kai i tēnei kai ko te Paraire Pai. He maha hoki ngā whānau e whai ana i te tikanga o te kore kai kiko (mīti) i tēnei rā, hei tohu mō te pāmamae o Ihu. Engari, he tino rongonui te kai ika (fish and chips) i te pō o te Paraire Pai. He tikanga tēnei e kitea ana puta noa i te motu, ā, he maha ngā wā ka tino roa te tutira i ngā toa ika me te maramara i tēnei ahiahi.Te Whakatā me te Whānau
Nā te mea kua kati te nuinga o ngā toa, he rā pai tēnei mō te whakatā noa iho. He maha ngā iwi e haere ana ki ō rātou whare rāki (bachs) mō te rātū roa. Ko te hīkoi i te tahatika, te mahi māra, me te pānui pukapuka ētahi o ngā mahi tino rongonui. He rā tēnei e āhua puhoi ai te rere o te wā, he rā whakatā tūturu i te mea kaore he huarahi ki te haere ki te hokohoko kakahu, ki te haere rānei ki te mātakitaki i te nuinga o ngā whakaaturanga nui.Te Paraire Pai hei Rā Whakatā ā-Ture (Public Holiday)
I Aotearoa, he rā whakatā ā-ture te Paraire Pai i raro i te Ture Holidays Act 2003. He rā tēnei e utua ana te hunga mahi ki te kore rātou e mahi, ā, ki te mahi rātou, he ture motuhake e pā ana ki tērā.
Ngā Ture mō te Hunga Mahi
Ki te mahi tētahi tangata i te Paraire Pai, me utu ia ki te "time and a half" (te utu mo te haora me te hawhe). I tua atu i tērā, ki te mea he rā mahi tonu te Paraire mō taua tangata, ka whiwhi hoki ia i tētahi rā whakatā kē (alternative holiday/day in lieu). He ture tēnei hei whakarite kia kaua te tangata e ngaro i tōna rā whakatā ahakoa te mahi.Ngā Rāhuitanga Tauhokohoko (Trading Restrictions)
Ko te Paraire Pai tetahi o ngā rā e toru me te hawhe i roto i te tau e tino rāhuitia ana te tauhokohoko i Aotearoa (ko ētahi atu ko te Rā o te Aranga, te Rā Kirihimete, me te ata o te Rā o ANZAC). He aha ngā mea ka kati? Ko te nuinga o ngā hokomaha nui (supermarkets), ngā toa hokohoko (malls), me ngā toa hokohoko ririki me kati i tēnei rā. He aha ngā mea ka tuwhera? Ka taea e ngā toa miraka (dairies), ngā teihana penehīni, ngā wharekai, me ngā wharekai tere (fast food) te tuwhera. Ko te tikanga, me mahi ēnei toa ki te whakarato i ngā mea e tino hiahiatia ana e te tangata, kaua ko te hoko taonga noa. Ngā Ture Waipiro: He tino kaha ngā ture mō te hoko waipiro i te Paraire Pai. Kaore e taea te hoko waipiro i te hokomaha, i te toa pounamu rānei. I roto i ngā wharekai, ka taea anake te hoko waipiro ki te mea kei te kai tahi te tangata i tētahi kai nui (a proper meal), ā, kaore e taea te haere noa ki te pae (bar) ki te inu noa.Kōrero mā te Hunga Haereere (Travel Information)
Ki te mea kei te toro mai koe ki Aotearoa i te tau 2026 i te wā o te Paraire Pai, he mea nui kia whakamahere koe i mua.
- Hokona ō kai i mua: Nā te mea ka kati ngā hokomaha nui i te rā o April 3, 2026, he mea nui kia hokona ō kai i te Rāpare, i mua rānei. Ka tino pukumahi ngā hokomaha i te pō o te Rāpare i te mea kei te takatū te katoa mō te katinga.
- Ikiiki Tūmatanui: I te nuinga o ngā tāone nui pēnei i Tāmaki Makaurau, Te Whanganui-a-Tara, me Ōtautahi, ka rere ngā pahi me ngā tereina i runga i te rārangi wā o te Rātapu (Sunday timetable). He iti ake ngā ratonga i te rā noa, nō reira tirohia ngā rārangi wā i mua.
- Waka i runga i te huarahi: Nā te mea he rātū roa tēnei, ka tino pukumahi ngā huarahi nui i te ahiahi o te Rāpare me te ata o te Paraire i te hunga e wehe atu ana i ngā tāone nui. Kia tūpato te taraiwa, ā, me whakarite kia nui ake te wā mō tō haerenga.
- Wāhi Tūruhi: He maha ngā wāhi tūruhi ka noho tuwhera tonu, engari he pai tonu te tirotiro i o raatau paetukutuku i mua. Ko ngā whare taonga me ngā whare toi he maha ngā wā ka tuwhera, engari he poto ake ngā haora mahi.
He aha te āhua o te huerere?
I te mea ko te April 3, 2026 te rā o te Paraire Pai i te tau 2026, kei te ngahuru tātou. He wā tēnei e pai ana te huerere ki te nuinga o ngā wāhi o Aotearoa.
Te Ika-a-Māui: Ko te tikanga kei waenga i te 15°C ki te 22°C te mahana i te awatea. He wā pai tēnei mō te toro ki ngā takutai moana o te raki. Te Waipounamu: Ka āhua mātao ake te huarere, ina koa i te pō. Kei te 10°C ki te 18°C te mahana i te awatea. He rā pai tēnei mō te hīkoi i ngā maunga, engari me mau kākahu mahana.He Whakarāpopototanga mō te Paraire Pai
Ko te Paraire Pai ki Aotearoa he huinga o te tapu hāhi me te whakatā ao. Ahakoa he rā pouri te pūtakenga mai, i ēnei rā he wā tēnei mō te iwi o Aotearoa ki te whakatā, ki te kai ngātahi me te whānau, me te whakarite mō te rātū o te Aranga.
Mō te hunga e hiahia ana ki te whakamahi pai i tēnei rā i te tau 2026:
Kia mahara ki te rā: April 3, 2026. Whakaritea ō kai me āu inu i mua i te katinga o ngā toa. Whakamahia te wā ki te whakatā me te huritao, ahakoa he whakapono tōu, kaore rānei.- Pai noa iho te kai i te Hot Cross Bun i te ata, me te ika me te maramara i te ahiahi!
Ngā Pātai mō te Paraire Pai (FAQ)
1. Ka taea te hoko waipiro i te Paraire Pai? Kaore, kaore e taea te hoko waipiro i ngā hokomaha, i ngā toa pounamu rānei. Ka taea anake te inu i roto i te wharekai ki te mea kei te kai koe i tētahi kai nui.
2. He aha te take ka kati ai ngā toa katoa? He ture tēnei i Aotearoa (Shop Trading Hours Act) hei whakarite kia whai rā whakatā te hunga mahi i ngā rā tino hira o te tau. He tikanga tēnei nō te wā e kaha ake ana te hāhi i roto i te hapori, engari kei te mau tonu hei rā whakatā mō te katoa.
3. He rā whakatā ā-motu te Paraire Pai? Ae, he rā whakatā ā-ture tēnei puta noa i Aotearoa, mai i te hiku o te ika ki te upoko o te ika, tae noa ki Te Waipounamu me Wharekauri.
4. He aha te kai tuku iho o tēnei rā? Ko ngā Hot Cross Buns te kai tino rongonui mō te parakuihi, mō te tī rānei i te awatea. Mō te hapa, he maha ngā whānau ka kai ika hei whakakapi i te mīti.
5. Me pēhea taku whakamahere i tētahi hararei i tēnei wā? I te mea ko te April 3, 2026 te Paraire Pai, ka whai mai ko te Easter Monday i te 6 o Paenga-whāwhā. Ki te mea ka tangohia e koe ngā rā mahi e whā i muri i tērā (7-
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Good Friday in New Zealand
Good Friday falls on Friday, April 3, 2026 in 2026. From December 31, 2025, there are 90 days remaining until this holiday. It is part of a four-day long weekend that includes Easter Monday, providing a significant break for New Zealanders during the autumn season. Because the date is based on the lunar calendar, it changes every year, but it always falls on the Friday immediately preceding Easter Sunday.
Yes, Good Friday is a national public holiday across all of New Zealand. It is one of the most significant days in the calendar because it is also classified as a restricted trading day. This means that almost all schools, government offices, and businesses must close. While it is a statutory holiday for the entire country, the restrictions on commerce make it much quieter than other public holidays like Labour Day or Queen's Birthday.
Good Friday is a Christian holiday that commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. In New Zealand, the name is thought to have originated from 'God's Friday' or an Old English meaning of 'good' that signified 'holy.' While it marks a somber event in the Christian faith, it is observed as a day of reflection. For the secular population, it serves as the start of the Easter break, though the religious origins remain the primary reason for its status as a public holiday.
The day is generally spent quietly and reflectively. Many Christians attend church services, which are often held between noon and 3:00 pm to mirror the hours Jesus was on the cross. These services may include the Stations of the Cross or the Veneration of the Cross. For those who are not religious, it is a day for family gatherings at home or low-key outdoor activities. Unlike other holidays, there are no major parades or loud public festivities, maintaining a solemn atmosphere across the country.
Most shops must remain closed due to New Zealand's restricted trading laws. However, there are specific exceptions: petrol stations, cafes, restaurants, fast-food outlets, and dairies are allowed to open. In many smaller towns, you might find that every single business chooses to close for the day. If you are planning to shop for groceries or retail items, you should complete your errands before Friday, as supermarkets will be closed nationwide.
Traditions in New Zealand focus on religious observance and quietude. Many people eat hot cross buns—spiced sweet buns marked with a cross—which are a staple of the Easter season. In some households, it is a tradition to eat fish instead of meat. Because it is a day of rest, many people use the opportunity to prepare for Easter Sunday celebrations. The overall custom is to avoid loud celebrations and respect the solemnity of the occasion.
Visitors should be aware that public transport usually runs on a significantly reduced Sunday schedule. It is essential to stock up on food and essentials at least a day before April 3, 2026, as retail options will be very limited. If you are a tourist, it is a great day for hiking or visiting parks, provided you have your own supplies. Also, if you want to maximize your holiday, many locals book annual leave for the following week to turn the Easter break into a 10-day vacation.
There are no unique regional or Māori variations for Good Friday; the observance is uniform across the North and South Islands. In early April, New Zealand experiences autumn weather with daytime temperatures typically ranging between 15°C and 20°C. While it is generally pleasant for outdoor walks, it can be crisp, so visitors are encouraged to pack layers. The atmosphere remains peaceful regardless of which region you are visiting, from Auckland down to Invercargill.
Historical Dates
Good Friday dates in New Zealand from 2010 to 2025
| Year | Day of Week | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Friday | April 18, 2025 |
| 2024 | Friday | March 29, 2024 |
| 2023 | Friday | April 7, 2023 |
| 2022 | Friday | April 15, 2022 |
| 2021 | Friday | April 2, 2021 |
| 2020 | Friday | April 10, 2020 |
| 2019 | Friday | April 19, 2019 |
| 2018 | Friday | March 30, 2018 |
| 2017 | Friday | April 14, 2017 |
| 2016 | Friday | March 25, 2016 |
| 2015 | Friday | April 3, 2015 |
| 2014 | Friday | April 18, 2014 |
| 2013 | Friday | March 29, 2013 |
| 2012 | Friday | April 6, 2012 |
| 2011 | Friday | April 22, 2011 |
| 2010 | Friday | April 2, 2010 |
Note: Holiday dates may vary. Some holidays follow lunar calendars or have different observance dates. Purple indicates weekends.
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About New Zealand
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- Total Holidays
- 19