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Easter

Easter 2025, 2026 and 2027

Easter is the most important date on the Christian Calendar and numerous U.S. states observe a public holiday on Good Friday at the start of the Easter weekend.

Good Friday falls on 18 April in 2025 while Easter Sunday – also known as Resurrection Sunday or Pascha – falls on 20 April. In 2026 Good Friday will be celebrated earlier on 3 April.

YearDateDayHolidayStates
202518 AprFriGood Friday CT, DE, GA, HI, IN, KY,
LA, NC, ND, NJ, TN &
TX
20263 AprFriGood Friday CT, DE, GA, HI, IN, KY,
LA, NC, ND, NJ, TN &
TX
202726 MarFriGood Friday CT, DE, GA, HI, IN, KY,
LA, NC, ND, NJ, TN &
TX
Please scroll down to end of page for previous years' dates.

The date of Easter moves each year and occurs later in 2025 compared to other years. The date is based on the ecclesiastical Vernal Equinox, always 21 March, and Easter is the first Sunday following the first full moon following 21 March. If 21 March is a full-moon day and a Sunday then Easter is on the next Sunday. Therefore Easter Sunday can fall anywhere from 22 March to 25 April.

Easter is calculated differently by Eastern Orthodox Christians, and Western and Orthodox Easter can fall days or weeks apart most years. However occasionally Easter in both traditions falls on the same date, as it will in 2025 with Easter Sunday being 20 April for both. In 2026 the gap will be seven days, while 2027 will see a 35-day difference between Western and Eastern Easter.

Many other dates for Christian holidays are based on the movable date of Easter. Lent begins 40 days before Easter Sunday, while Ascension Day and Pentecost are 40 days and 50 days afterward, respectively.

Millions of people across the U.S. to attend special church services on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, even if they don’t usually go to church week to week. Good Friday is an observance of the day that Jesus was crucified, according to the biblical record, while Easter Sunday celebrates Jesus’ ressurection from the grave on the third day to prove his power over sin a death,

Regardless of religious belief, many in the U.S. take part in Easter celebrations as a fun way to welcome spring weather. Most children will be out of school for Spring or Easter break this time of year, and many employers provide a holiday option for employees who normally work Sundays.

People spend time together at home as a family, painting eggs, eating a lot of chocolate and sweets, and enjoying family meals together. Many towns and big cities in the US hold large Easter parades, some of which are nationally televised. And it is common for children to go on Easter egg hunts, searching for dyed hard-boiled eggs in the yard or for treats hidden inside of plastic pull-apart eggs.

Previous Years

YearDateDayHolidayStates
202429 MarFriGood Friday CT, DE, GA, HI, IN, KY,
LA, NC, ND, NJ, TN &
TX
20237 AprFriGood Friday CT, DE, GA, HI, IN, KY,
LA, NC, ND, NJ, TN &
TX