I first explained that in the Eastern Church we do not refer to this day as “Good Friday,” but always “Great and Holy Friday;” the term Good Friday being more commonly used by the Western Churches. I went on to say that it probably had something to do with the word “good” being of a more archaic definition – possibly from Latin. But to hopefully suffice this young lad, I reminded him that although Christ voluntarily suffered immeasurable pain, humiliation, and degradation, this day was good for mankind because of its salvific value.
Upon checking with everyone’s fingertip-ready resource (i.e. Wikipedia), it states that the etymology of the term “good” in the context of Good Friday is contested. Some sources claim it is from the senses pious, holy of the word “good,” while others contend that it is a corruption of “God Friday.” The Oxford English Dictionary supports the first etymology, giving “of a day or season observed as holy by the church” as an archaic sense of good (good, adj. 8c), and providing examples of good tide meaning “Christmas” or “Shrove Tuesday,” and Good Wednesday meaning the Wednesday in Holy Week.
