Easter is just days away, marking an end to the Lenten season — often observed by the religious as giving up something for weeks and abstaining from meat on Fridays — as the final days of Holy Week, including Good Friday, near.

Lent began on Ash Wednesday and ends on either Holy Thursday or Holy Saturday, “depending on the denomination or tradition you follow,” according to Christianity.com. This year, that’s either Thursday, April 17 or Saturday, April 19. These dates are during Holy Week, the period leading up to Easter that began with Palm Sunday on April 13, according to Catholic Answers. Holy Thursday is the commemoration of Jesus Christ’s Last Supper, which is followed by Good Friday.

Why do we celebrate Good Friday? Observation over celebration

Good Friday, which is on April 18, is the day on which Christian and Catholic churches across the world commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, USA TODAY reported. “From the early days of Christianity, Good Friday was observed as a day of sorrow, penance, and fasting,” Britannica notes.

Can you eat meat on Good Friday?

Good Friday is intended to be a day of fasting for Catholics, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and people observing Lent typically refrain from flesh meat on Fridays during the Lenten season, including Good Friday, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

What’s closed on Good Friday? See Post Office, DMV and banks schedules

Normal operations are in store for the U.S. Postal Service on Friday, April 18, and bank branches will largely be open on Good Friday, according to USA TODAY.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles offices will be open on Good Friday, according to its holiday schedule.

More: Are banks, post offices, UPS and FedEx open on Good Friday in California?

When is Easter 2025?

Easter is on Sunday, April 20.

When was Easter last year?

Last year, Easter fell on March 31.

USA TODAY reporter Gabe Hauari contributed to this report.