When is Easter?
Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion; it is the oldest and most central feast of the church calendar. Its date changes every year and, in the Western tradition, falls on a Sunday between 22 March and 25 April.
Easter — Catholic · Protestant (Western): the next date is March 28, 2027.
Easter — Greek Orthodox: the next date is May 2, 2027.
Easter — Armenian Apostolic: the next date is March 28, 2027.
Easter — Syriac Orthodox: the next date is May 2, 2027.
The date of Easter differs between traditions: Catholic and Protestant churches use the Gregorian reckoning, while the Greek Orthodox and Syriac Orthodox churches use the Julian computus — so Orthodox Easter usually falls 1-5 weeks after Western Easter (in some years, e.g. 2025, they coincide). The Armenian Apostolic Church follows the Western date.
Dates year by year — Western tradition
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | — Sunday |
| 2027 | — Sunday |
| 2028 | — Sunday |
| 2029 | — Sunday |
Catholic · Protestant (Western)
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | |
| 2027 | |
| 2028 |
Greek Orthodox
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | |
| 2027 | |
| 2028 |
Armenian Apostolic
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | |
| 2027 | |
| 2028 |
Syriac Orthodox
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | |
| 2027 | |
| 2028 |
Meaning and history
Easter celebrates the event at the heart of Christianity: the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. All four Gospel accounts describe the witness that begins early on the first day of the week, when women visiting the tomb find it empty. The early church regarded this event as the foundation of the faith, and Paul wrote that without the resurrection the Christian message would be empty. Easter has no fixed date: in the Western (Gregorian) tradition it is celebrated on the Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox — a calculation historically called the "computus". Easter therefore falls no earlier than 22 March and no later than 25 April. Most Eastern (Orthodox) churches apply the same principle using the Julian calendar, so the two traditions often celebrate on different dates. The week before Easter is Holy Week: it opens with Palm Sunday, deepens on Good Friday and culminates on resurrection morning. Easter also anchors the dates calculated after it: Ascension falls on the 40th day and Pentecost on the 50th. In many languages the name of the feast derives from the Hebrew "Pesach" (Passover), reflecting that the resurrection took place during the Passover season.
Sources
- USCCB — 2027 Western church calendar
- Church of England — Calendar of the church year
- Greek Orthodox Archdiocese — 2027 Paschalion
- Orthodox Church in America — Paschal cycle