Easter
Easter is the central Christian holiday marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his death on Good Friday. As a moveable feast, its date changes each year based on moon cycles and church rules. Beyond church services and prayer, Easter brings popular spring customs like painting eggs, holding egg hunts, and sharing meals with family.
Key facts
- Date
- Moveable Sunday — first Sunday after the Paschal full moon
- Significance
- Commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ
- Calendar System
- Gregorian in Western churches, Julian in Eastern Orthodox
- Observance
- Religious and cultural holiday observed globally
What is Easter?
Easter is the most important holiday in the Christian faith. It marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which Christians believe took place three days after his death on the cross at Calvary. The day celebrates new life and forms the heart of Christian belief.
While Easter is rooted in faith, it also welcomes spring. Over time, biblical themes of new life merged with popular customs. Today, families celebrate with church mass, painted eggs, sweet treats, and local events.
How the date of Easter is calculated
Unlike fixed holidays, Easter is a moveable feast. In 325 AD, the Council of Nicaea set the rule that Western Easter falls on the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon. This is the first church full moon on or after March 21. As a result, Western Easter always lands between March 22 and April 25.
Different calendars mean churches often celebrate on separate dates. Western Christianity — including Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Protestant churches — uses the Gregorian calendar. Eastern Christianity follows the Julian calendar, placing Eastern Orthodox Easter between April 4 and May 8. On occasion, both calendars align and all Christians celebrate on the same day.
Upcoming Western Easter dates include March 31, 2024; April 20, 2025; April 5, 2026; March 28, 2027; April 16, 2028; April 1, 2029; April 21, 2030; and April 13, 2031.
Western Gregorian vs Eastern Orthodox Easter
| Western Christianity | Eastern Orthodox | |
|---|---|---|
| Calendar Used | Gregorian calendar | Julian calendar |
| Date Calculation Base | Full moon after March 21 (Gregorian) | Full moon after March 21 (Julian) |
| Possible Date Range | March 22 to April 25 | April 4 to May 8 (Gregorian equivalents) |
| Key Religious Service | Easter Sunday morning mass and sunrise services | Holy Saturday midnight vigil and Paschal Liturgy |
| Traditional Foods | Hot cross buns, roasted lamb, chocolate eggs | Tsoureki bread, red-dyed eggs, blessed paska |
Roots and historical origin
The history of Easter begins with Jewish Passover, known as Pascha in Greek and Latin. The New Testament places the death and rising of Jesus during the Passover festival in Jerusalem. Early Jewish Christians kept celebrating Passover while focusing on Christ.
The English word Easter comes from Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon spring goddess named by St. Bede in his eighth-century book De temporum ratione. Over time, Christian tradition adopted the name in Germanic tongues while romance languages kept names based on Pascha.
Easter symbols and customs
Eggs are the most famous symbol of Easter, representing new life and the empty tomb of Jesus. Dyeing and painting eggs is an old custom shared across many lands. Children often join in egg hunts to find hidden painted or chocolate eggs.
The Easter Bunny started in German Lutheran tradition as the Osterhase, a legendary hare that brought eggs to children. Other popular customs include wearing new clothes for Easter parades, sharing hot cross buns on Good Friday, and serving roasted lamb.
Easter celebrations around the globe
Western celebrations combine church mass on Easter Sunday with family meals and fun outdoor games. In Eastern Orthodox regions, a period of fasting called Great Lent leads into Holy Week and late night mass on Holy Saturday. People light candles at midnight and greet one another with Christos Anesti, receiving the reply Alithos Anesti.
Food traditions vary by country. In Greece, families bake sweet tsoureki bread and crack red eggs together. Eastern European cultures prepare a blessed Easter basket with kielbasa sausage, paska bread, and horseradish to mark the end of Lenten fasting.
Easter in modern culture
In modern times, Easter has grown into a major shopping season. Stores sell chocolate eggs, gift baskets, and spring items. According to the National Retail Federation, consumer spending for Easter in the United States reaches billions of dollars each year.
Cities around the world host public events to bring people together. The annual Easter Parade along Fifth Avenue in New York City features festive hats and outfits. Local parks also host community egg hunts and charity events for families.
How to mark the day
Try these festive activities to celebrate Easter with family, friends, and your local community.
Decorate colorful Easter eggs
Hard-boil fresh eggs and dye them using natural ingredients like red cabbage, onion skins, or beet juice. You can also paint patterns or draw designs with wax before dipping them in dye.
Organize a neighborhood egg hunt
Hide painted eggs or treat-filled plastic shells around your garden or local park. Give children small baskets to collect the hidden eggs and set up fun clues for older players to follow.
Bake traditional Easter bread
Prepare traditional sweet breads like Greek tsoureki decorated with red eggs or spiced hot cross buns marked with icing. Baking together brings family members into the kitchen to share holiday recipes.
Attend a sunrise church service
Join a local congregation for a sunrise or midnight service to reflect on the spiritual meaning of Easter. Hearing traditional hymns and community prayers provides a peaceful start to the festive day.
Share a festive family meal
Gather around the dining table for a traditional main course like roasted lamb or glazed ham paired with spring vegetables. Enjoy conversation and express gratitude for new beginnings with loved ones.
Assemble spring gift baskets
Fill reusable baskets with fresh fruit, chocolate treats, small crafts, or books for neighbors and family. Delivering surprise baskets spreads springtime cheer and strengthens community connections without heavy spending.
Common questions
Why does the date of Easter change every year?
Easter is a moveable feast calculated using a solar-lunar rule established at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. It falls on the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon, which is the first full moon on or after March 21.
Why do Western and Eastern Orthodox Easters fall on different days?
Western Christian churches calculate Easter using the Gregorian calendar, while Eastern Orthodox churches follow the older Julian calendar. Because the two calendar systems differ by 13 days, the Paschal full moon and Easter Sunday fall on different dates in most years.
What is the origin of the Easter Bunny?
The Easter Bunny originated in German Lutheran traditions as the Osterhase, a legendary hare that evaluated children’s behavior at spring. The hare brought colored eggs to good children, a custom brought to North America by German immigrants in the 1700s.
What do eggs symbolize at Easter?
Eggs have long represented new life, rebirth, and spring across ancient cultures. Early Christians adopted the egg as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, with the hard shell representing the tomb and the emerging life symbolizing victory over death.
Is Easter a public holiday?
Easter Sunday itself is a major religious holiday but falls on a Sunday, when most government offices are already closed. Good Friday and Easter Monday are recognized as public bank holidays in many countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and parts of Europe.
What are traditional Easter foods?
Traditional Easter foods include roasted lamb, representing the Lamb of God, as well as eggs, hot cross buns, and rich breads such as Greek tsoureki or Eastern European paska. These foods celebrate the end of Lenten fasting.
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