What’s with colleges having class on Good Friday?

[Anonymous]

We're a totally nonreligious family (parents were raised Protestant and Jewish) but my sophomore daughter did phone me a little sad that the LAC she attends with a large Jewish population wouldn't be giving off the Friday or Monday on the Easter/Passover weekend. We've always celebrated both holidays with food and family company, so she was hoping to come back for the weekend since she's not interested in the religious observations that various faith groups are offering on campus. It did make me a little sad that certain dishes we are used to making and sharing together wouldn't be enjoyed by everyone over that weekend this year. On the other hand, DD's cousin attends Rhodes, which does give a few days off for "Easter," so I think she's also a little bit jealous that she doesn't get both a spring break and a couple days off later on.

[Anonymous]

Georgetown has Good Friday off. But it is a Jesuit school. I would not expect non-Catholic schools to take the day off.

[Anonymous]

I went to SAIS and my European classmates were very “offended” that we didn’t have Good Friday off of school. I was a rep on one of the student bodies and more than a few complained to me.

I patiently explained that it’s not a holiday in the United States and that’s how we roll. I explained that they would be excused from class for religious worship, all they had to do was let the professor know. The irony of course was that none of them were devoutly religious - they admitted that they did not go to church on Good Friday, they just expected to have it off as they do in Europe.

I just rolled my eyes.

[Anonymous]

I recall that we are supposed to not work or do fun stuff only between 12-3, to commemorate the hours when Jesus was suffering on the cross before dying. To use that time to meditate or contemplate or appreciate or think about those who have sacrificed for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recall that we are supposed to not work or do fun stuff only between 12-3, to commemorate the hours when Jesus was suffering on the cross before dying. To use that time to meditate or contemplate or appreciate or think about those who have sacrificed for you.

That’s ancient history. Next to nobody does that now.

[Anonymous]

In the late 80s or early 90s, at my alma mater (a public university in a state outside the DMV), our Chancellor took the Good Friday holiday away for MLK Day, effective immediately. (this was basically announced at the beginning of the spring semester.. or possibly late in the fall semester).

People were really upset.... mainly that a day which could be used for studying for final exams towards the end of the semester was suddenly removed. It impacted professors, too, in that Mon/Wed classes were now going to be missing a Monday class.

Our spring break usually began around March 1, so about 4 weeks before a normal Good Friday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't see you getting indignant over Jewish holidays, OP.

Jew here — yep! We ALWAYS have to take off for Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, Pesach … you don’t hear us complaining, because we get that the USA isn’t a Jewish country. We deal.

The Muslims do the same.

Why do you need to be the one complaining?

+1

I think more Jewishy schools do have excused absences or give the day off for Yom Kippur. Maybe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recall that we are supposed to not work or do fun stuff only between 12-3, to commemorate the hours when Jesus was suffering on the cross before dying. To use that time to meditate or contemplate or appreciate or think about those who have sacrificed for you.

Sundays are supposed to be a day of rest from any activity except going to church and other religious things like reading spiritual works, meditation and praying. Hardly anyone is being as strict with this as used to be done 100 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recall that we are supposed to not work or do fun stuff only between 12-3, to commemorate the hours when Jesus was suffering on the cross before dying. To use that time to meditate or contemplate or appreciate or think about those who have sacrificed for you.

That’s ancient history. Next to nobody does that now.

I'm not sure how you define "ancient," but I used to notice my coworkers stopping by church on their lunch hours on Good Friday.

But they didn't take the whole day off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recall that we are supposed to not work or do fun stuff only between 12-3, to commemorate the hours when Jesus was suffering on the cross before dying. To use that time to meditate or contemplate or appreciate or think about those who have sacrificed for you.

That’s ancient history. Next to nobody does that now.

I'm not sure how you define "ancient," but I used to notice my coworkers stopping by church on their lunch hours on Good Friday.

But they didn't take the whole day off.

Yeah you can definitely still find 3 hours services. The National Cathedral does one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recall that we are supposed to not work or do fun stuff only between 12-3, to commemorate the hours when Jesus was suffering on the cross before dying. To use that time to meditate or contemplate or appreciate or think about those who have sacrificed for you.

That’s ancient history. Next to nobody does that now.

NP. Our family does this. Calling it "ancient history" made me laugh!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recall that we are supposed to not work or do fun stuff only between 12-3, to commemorate the hours when Jesus was suffering on the cross before dying. To use that time to meditate or contemplate or appreciate or think about those who have sacrificed for you.

That’s ancient history. Next to nobody does that now.

NP. Our family does this. Calling it "ancient history" made me laugh!

We do this as well. My daughter's schools is off both Holy Thursday and Good Friday. There are some Catholics who have not totally abandoned their faith. And my daughter will be the first to call us out if we forget to pray before a meal. Love that she had such a strong Catholic education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't see you getting indignant over Jewish holidays, OP.

Jew here — yep! We ALWAYS have to take off for Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, Pesach … you don’t hear us complaining, because we get that the USA isn’t a Jewish country. We deal.

The Muslims do the same.

Why do you need to be the one complaining?

+1

I think more Jewishy schools do have excused absences or give the day off for Yom Kippur. Maybe.

Yep but it’s rare. It’s one reason we picked Montgomery County because they do give off. But even in the early 2000s at a college where almost a third of the student body was Jewish, professors regularly scheduled exams on the High Holidays and got snippy if you asked for a makeup date. So, not feeling super sorry for OP. Deal with it like the rest of us do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recall that we are supposed to not work or do fun stuff only between 12-3, to commemorate the hours when Jesus was suffering on the cross before dying. To use that time to meditate or contemplate or appreciate or think about those who have sacrificed for you.

That’s ancient history. Next to nobody does that now.

NP. Our family does this. Calling it "ancient history" made me laugh!

We do this as well. My daughter's schools is off both Holy Thursday and Good Friday. There are some Catholics who have not totally abandoned their faith. And my daughter will be the first to call us out if we forget to pray before a meal. Love that she had such a strong Catholic education.

Ditto here. For the people who said you can walk into a church at any time on Good Friday, not true. The liturgy starts at 3pm, coinciding with Christ dying on the cross. And for those of you who said it's not practiced anymore, the Basilica of St Mary is packed every year on Holy Thursday evening for the mass of the last supper and on Friday for the liturgy of Christ dying on the cross. For practicing Catholics, of which are a great number, it is a truly holy day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recall that we are supposed to not work or do fun stuff only between 12-3, to commemorate the hours when Jesus was suffering on the cross before dying. To use that time to meditate or contemplate or appreciate or think about those who have sacrificed for you.

That’s ancient history. Next to nobody does that now.

NP. Our family does this. Calling it "ancient history" made me laugh!

We do this as well. My daughter's schools is off both Holy Thursday and Good Friday. There are some Catholics who have not totally abandoned their faith. And my daughter will be the first to call us out if we forget to pray before a meal. Love that she had such a strong Catholic education.

Ditto here. For the people who said you can walk into a church at any time on Good Friday, not true. The liturgy starts at 3pm, coinciding with Christ dying on the cross. And for those of you who said it's not practiced anymore, the Basilica of St Mary is packed every year on Holy Thursday evening for the mass of the last supper and on Friday for the liturgy of Christ dying on the cross. For practicing Catholics, of which are a great number, it is a truly holy day.

We have absolutely no idea what day or time Jesus was executed.