When is Easter?
The next Easter Sunday is Sunday, March 28, 2027. Unlike Christmas, Easter has no fixed date. Western churches celebrate it on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after March 21. The "full moon" here is an ecclesiastical one taken from church tables rather than the astronomical moon, and March 21 is used as a fixed stand-in for the spring equinox. The result is that Western Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25.
Orthodox churches use the same principle but calculate it with the older Julian calendar, so Orthodox Easter is either the same Sunday or one, four or five weeks later.
Easter dates for the next eight years
| Year | Ash Wednesday | Western Easter | Orthodox Easter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Wed, Feb 10 | Sun, Mar 28 | Sun, May 2 |
| 2028 | Wed, Mar 1 | Sun, Apr 16 | Sun, Apr 16 |
| 2029 | Wed, Feb 14 | Sun, Apr 1 | Sun, Apr 8 |
| 2030 | Wed, Mar 6 | Sun, Apr 21 | Sun, Apr 28 |
| 2031 | Wed, Feb 26 | Sun, Apr 13 | Sun, Apr 13 |
| 2032 | Wed, Feb 11 | Sun, Mar 28 | Sun, May 2 |
| 2033 | Wed, Mar 2 | Sun, Apr 17 | Sun, Apr 24 |
| 2034 | Wed, Feb 22 | Sun, Apr 9 | Sun, Apr 9 |
History and meaning
Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus and is the most important feast in the Christian year. Its timing is tied to the Jewish Passover, during which the Gospels place the crucifixion; that is why many languages call Easter by a name derived from Pascha, from the Hebrew Pesach. The Council of Nicaea in 325 sought a uniform date for all churches, and the method of finding the Sunday after the spring full moon was refined over the following centuries. The English word "Easter" is less clear: the eighth-century historian Bede linked it to a spring goddess called Eostre, but scholars still debate the origin.
Easter ends a season of preparation. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, 46 days before Easter (40 days of fasting not counting Sundays), and the final week, Holy Week, includes Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
How Easter is celebrated
Many Americans attend church, often at an outdoor sunrise service, then share a family meal. Children hunt for dyed and plastic eggs and receive baskets from the Easter Bunny, a figure brought to Pennsylvania by German immigrants in the 1700s. The White House has hosted the Easter Egg Roll on its South Lawn on Easter Monday since 1878. Easter Sunday is not a federal holiday, and Good Friday isn't either, although the stock markets close and some states give the day off. In the UK, Australia and much of Europe, Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays.
Planning with the countdown
- Spring break and travel: because Easter can move by nearly five weeks, school spring breaks shift with it in many districts. Check the date before booking trips.
- Lent: if the countdown shows more than 46 days, Lent hasn't started yet; the table shows Ash Wednesday for each year.
- Meals and gatherings: hams and lamb are popular Easter meals, and stores get busy the Saturday before, so order ahead.
- Egg hunts: community egg hunts are often held the Saturday before Easter and fill up quickly where registration is required.
Frequently asked questions
When is Easter 2027?
Western Easter 2027 is on Sunday, March 28, 2027. Orthodox Easter that year is on Sunday, May 2, 2027.
Why does Easter change every year?
Easter follows a lunar rule: the first Sunday after the ecclesiastical full moon on or after March 21. Because lunar months don’t line up with the solar calendar, the date moves between March 22 and April 25.
Why is Orthodox Easter on a different date?
Orthodox churches calculate Easter with the Julian calendar and older moon tables. Their Easter is the same Sunday as Western Easter in some years and one, four or five weeks later in others.
When does Lent start in 2027?
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, 46 days before Easter. In 2027 that is Wednesday, February 10, 2027.
Is Good Friday a federal holiday?
No. Good Friday is not a federal holiday, but U.S. stock markets close that day and a few states observe it as a state holiday.
Last updated: October 8, 2026