- The date of Easter Sunday changes each year. This year, in 2024, Easter falls on Sunday, March 31, 2024.
- How is the date of Easter determined every year? The holiday occurs on the Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox, which welcomes spring in the northern hemisphere.
- All of the celebrations and holy days leading up to Easter also change dates each year.
As soon as the first sign of spring—tulips, anyone?—begin to pop up, we turn our thoughts toward warmer weather and, of course, the Easter holiday. Unlike many other holidays whose dates are set in stone, each year the date, and often the month, of Easter changes, and we find ourselves wondering, "What date does Easter land on this year?" Here's everything you need to know about why Easter changes dates, along with some of the other important dates leading up to the holiday.
When determining the date of Easter 2024 (it falls on Sunday, March 31), you first must know Ash Wednesday's date. Easter Sunday is always six and a half weeks following Ash Wednesday, which makes up the 40 days of Lent. We've researched the reasons behind the ever-changing date, which includes the phases of the moon, the vernal equinox, and the Gregorian calendar. You may not have realized just how many factors affect how Easter Sunday is determined each year!
How is the Easter date determined every year?
First off, it's important to know that, though the exact date of Easter changes each year, there's a definite period in which the day occurs, and that is between March 22 and April 25 (in the Gregorian calendar, not the Julian calendar). Easter always occurs on the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon (the first full moon that occurs after the vernal equinox, which signifies the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere), according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.
In 2024, the vernal equinox falls on March 19, making the first full moon after that date March 25 and the following Sunday—March 31—Easter 2024.
When is Easter 2024?
Easter Sunday 2024 falls on March 31. And, although the holiday is the main event, there are several important commemorations leading up to the holy day. This year, things kicked off on Wednesday, February 14, when churchgoers headed to their local congregations to observe Ash Wednesday. (Coincidentally, this year's Ash Wednesday also falls on Valentine's Day!) On this day, priests and pastors rub ashes from the previous year's Palm Sunday palms on attendees' foreheads. They do this while reciting Genesis 3:19, which says, "...for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. The meaning of Lent is to be "encouraged to find our own method of confronting our sinfulness, remembering our mortality, and giving thanks for the gift of salvation we receive through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ," according to the United Methodist Church's website. Many people choose to give up something or give themselves to charity during the 40-day celebration.
Lent comes to a close during Holy Week, which begins with Palm Sunday on March 24. Palm Sunday marks Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem where he was was greeted with palm branches, according to the 40 Acts website. Several days later comes Holy Wednesday, which falls on March 27 this year, and this recognizes Judas Iscariot and his plot to betray the savior. The next day—March 28—is Holy Thursday, the anniversary of the Last Supper. Good Friday, on March 29, is celebrated next, and that commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Easter Sunday, on March 31, celebrates the day that Jesus rose from the tomb and also marks the end of Lent.
Is Easter Always the Third Sunday in April?
No, it does not always fall on the third Sunday in April. In fact, Easter doesn't always occur in April; it can be as early as March, like this year, when it falls on the last Sunday in—and the last day of—March. This is a common misconception, however, and it's possible that people are thinking of the timing of Thanksgiving, which is always the third Thursday in November.
More Easter Date Trivia
Q. What is the rarest date for Easter?
A. March 23, according to statistician Jim Frost on his blog Statistics by Jim. He crunched the data on a 2,516-year time span to answer this question!
Q. When is Easter 2025?
A. Someone's a planner! Easter 2025 falls on April 20. (And before you ask, Easter 2026 occurs on April 5.)
Q. When is Orthodox Easter?
A. The Eastern Orthodox Church follows the Julian calendar (versus the Gregorian calendar), which often means a different date for Easter Sunday, though the calendars do sometimes coincide. This year, Orthodox Easter falls on May 5, 2024.
Jennifer Aldrich was the editorial assistant for CountryLiving.com.
Erin Cavoto is the Editorial Assistant at ThePioneerWoman.com, covering food, holidays, home decor, and more.
