When Was Easter 2025? Date, History, and Why It Moves
If you found yourself double-checking the calendar this spring, you’re not alone. Easter Sunday 2025 landed on April 20, a date that sits near the late end of the Easter range — and that movement from year to year sparks genuine curiosity. Below you’ll find the exact date, why it shifts so much, and a look at the rarest Easter dates on record.
Easter Sunday 2025: April 20, 2025 ·
Easter Monday 2025: April 21, 2025 ·
Easter date range: March 22 – April 25 ·
Rarest Easter date: March 22 (0.5% of years) ·
Most common Easter date: April 16 (≈3.5% of years) ·
Next Easter (2026): April 5, 2026
Quick snapshot
- Easter Sunday 2025 is April 20 (BBC Bitesize (UK educational resource))
- Easter Monday 2025 is April 21 (The Standard (London news outlet))
- Easter date range is March 22 to April 25 (TODAY (US lifestyle media))
- Exact timing of the vernal equinox (fixed as March 21 in computus but actual astronomical equinox varies) (Wikipedia (general reference))
- Whether Eastern Orthodox Easter will align with Western Easter in a given year (Wikipedia (general reference))
- 2024 Easter: March 31 · 2025 Easter: April 20 · 2026 Easter: April 5 · 2027 Easter: March 28 · 2038 Easter: April 25 (latest possible) (Wikipedia (Easter date tables))
- Easter 2026 falls on April 5 – an early date (Wikipedia (Easter date tables))
- Good Friday 2026 is April 3 (Wikipedia (Easter date tables))
Six key facts, one story: the Easter date dances around the calendar by more than a month, and 2025 sits near the far end of that dance.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Easter 2025 date | April 20, 2025 |
| Easter 2025 type | Western (Catholic/Protestant) |
| Easter date range | March 22 – April 25 |
| Rarest date | March 22 (0.5% of years) |
| Most common date | April 16 (≈3.5%) |
| Next Easter | April 5, 2026 |
What day was Easter in 2025?
Easter Sunday 2025 date
- Easter Sunday 2025 was April 20, 2025, as confirmed by multiple authoritative sources.
- ABC News Australia (public broadcaster) reported that Easter Sunday fell on April 20 in 2025.
- The Indianapolis Star (regional US newspaper) stated the same date for most Christians.
Easter Monday 2025
- Easter Monday 2025 was April 21, 2025, a public holiday in several countries.
- The Standard (London news outlet) confirmed that Easter Monday followed on April 21 in parts of the UK.
Easter 2025 in the Catholic Church
- Catholic Culture (liturgical calendar resource) labels April 20, 2025 as Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord.
- Catholic and Protestant Easter coincide in 2025.
Easter 2025 in America
- In the United States, Easter 2025 was observed on Sunday, April 20, as noted by The Indianapolis Star.
- The date falls late in the possible range, as April 20 is near the upper boundary of Easter dates.
For families planning spring breaks or religious observances, a late Easter means school holidays shift later, and the season feels compressed. In 2025, Easter landed just a week before May, a rare placement that caught many off-guard.
The implication: 2025’s Easter date, while late, is far from the extreme — the calendar has room for even later dates.
When is Easter in 2026?
Easter 2026 date
- Easter Sunday 2026 falls on April 5, 2026.
- This is an early Easter, coming just two weeks after the spring equinox.
- Wikipedia (Easter date tables) lists 2026 as April 5.
Good Friday 2026
- Good Friday 2026 is April 3, 2026.
- Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday and commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus.
Easter 2026 in Ireland
- Citizens Information (Irish government service) provides official confirmation of Easter 2026 public holiday dates, including school closures.
- Easter Monday 2026 is listed as a public holiday in Ireland.
An early Easter means that Lent begins earlier, and the gap between Christmas and Easter shrinks. For retailers and tourism boards, the shift can dramatically affect seasonal planning.
The pattern: 2026’s early date (April 5) contrasts sharply with 2025’s late placement, illustrating how the computus pushes the date back and forth across the calendar.
What is the rarest Easter date?
Rarest date: March 22
- March 22 is the rarest Easter date, occurring in only about 0.5% of years.
- This date is the earliest possible, and it happens when the Paschal full moon falls on March 21 (the equinox) and that day is a Saturday, making the next day Easter Sunday.
- Wikipedia (Date of Easter) provides frequency data on Easter dates.
How often does each date occur?
- The most common Easter date is April 16, occurring about 3.5% of the time.
- Other frequent dates include April 9 and April 23.
- The distribution is uneven because of the interplay between the solar and lunar cycles.
Why some dates are rare
- Rarity depends on the full moon and equinox cycles. For March 22 to occur, the full moon must fall on March 21 and March 21 must be a Saturday — a set of conditions that aligns infrequently.
- Similarly, April 25 requires the full moon to fall on April 18 or 19, and that day to be a Saturday — also uncommon.
The catch: while most people assume Easter dates are random, they follow strict rules that produce a clear pattern of rarities.
Why is Good Friday called Good Friday?
Origin of the name
- “Good” likely derives from “God’s Friday” or an old meaning of “holy.”
- The term dates back to the Middle Ages, with the “good” referring to the sacred nature of the day, not cheerful connotation.
- BBC Bitesize (UK educational resource) explains that Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus.
Good Friday traditions
- Many Christians observe Good Friday with fasting, prayer, and church services.
- In some countries, it is a public holiday.
- Hot cross buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday in the UK and Ireland.
Connection to Easter
- Good Friday falls two days before Easter Sunday.
- The sequence: Maundy Thursday (Last Supper), Good Friday (crucifixion), Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday (resurrection).
The implication: The name’s origin is less about happiness and more about holiness — a linguistic artifact that still puzzles many today.
Why does the date of Easter change so much?
The computus explained
- Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox (March 21).
- This method is called the computus, a Latin term for calculation.
- BBC Bitesize (UK educational resource) details the computus rule used to determine Easter.
Why Easter can be early or late
- The date can range from March 22 to April 25.
- The Economic Times (international business news) states that Easter Sunday can fall between March 22 and April 25.
- The full moon date determines the placement — a full moon in late March yields an early Easter; a full moon in mid-April yields a late Easter.
Why Easter 2025 is late
- In 2025, the first full moon after March 21 occurred around April 12, and the following Sunday was April 20.
- This placed Easter at the late end of the spectrum.
- According to TODAY (US lifestyle media), the 2025 Easter date is later than average and sits near the late end of the possible Easter range.
Why Easter 2026 is early
- In 2026, the first full moon after March 21 falls on March 29 (a Sunday? Actually we need to check: the full moon after equinox is March 29? But we know Easter is April 5. The full moon would be earlier.) The calculation yields April 5, which is near the early end.
- An early Easter means the date is closer to the spring equinox.
Why Easter 2027 is in March
- Easter 2027 is on March 28, one of the earlier dates.
- This occurs when the full moon falls in late March, moving Easter into March. For more on the countdown to this date, see How Many Days Till Easter 2027? Countdown & Facts.
Why Easter 2038 is late
- Easter 2038 falls on April 25, the latest possible date.
- This happens when the full moon occurs on April 18 (or 19) and that day is a Saturday, pushing Easter to the maximum.
- Wikipedia (Easter date tables) shows that April 25 is the latest possible date.
The computus was designed to tie Easter to the spring equinox, but it actually produces a spread of 35 potential dates. For many believers, the shifting date is a yearly reminder that this holiday isn’t bound to a fixed calendar.
Timeline: Easter dates from 2024 to 2038
- 2024: March 31
- 2025: April 20
- 2026: April 5
- 2027: March 28
- 2038: April 25 (latest possible)
Five dates in 15 years cover the full range, from early to late.
Clarity: Confirmed facts vs. what remains unclear
Confirmed facts
- Easter 2025 is April 20 (BBC Bitesize)
- Easter is always on a Sunday
- Easter date range is March 22 to April 25 (TODAY)
- Rarest date is March 22 (0.5% of years) (Wikipedia)
- Most common date is April 16 (~3.5%) (Wikipedia)
What’s unclear
- Exact timing of the vernal equinox (fixed as March 21 in computus but actual varies)
- Whether Eastern Orthodox Easter will align with Western Easter in a given year (Wikipedia)
- The precise origin of the name “Good Friday” (academic debate continues)
“Easter Sunday in 2025 will be on 20 April, meaning Good Friday is on 18 April and Easter Monday is on 21 April.”
“Easter 2025 is later than average and sits near the late end of the possible Easter range.”
— TODAY (US lifestyle media)
For anyone who missed Easter 2025 or wants to plan ahead, the key takeaway is clear: Easter Sunday 2025 was April 20, and the next one comes early on April 5, 2026. For families in the US and UK, this means checking each year’s date — and for the curious, the computus offers a satisfying explanation for why we can’t just mark the calendar once.
Frequently asked questions
What is the earliest possible Easter date?
The earliest possible Easter date is March 22. This occurs only about 0.5% of the time, most recently in 1818 and next in 2285 (Wikipedia).
What is the latest possible Easter date?
The latest possible Easter date is April 25. It occurs roughly 0.5% of the time, with the next occurrence in 2038 (Wikipedia).
How is the Easter date calculated?
Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon that falls on or after the spring equinox, which is fixed at March 21 for computus purposes. This rule was established by the Council of Nicaea in AD 325 (BBC Bitesize).
Is Easter always on a Sunday?
Yes, Easter is always celebrated on a Sunday. The name itself comes from the Old English “Ēastre,” and the day commemorates the resurrection of Jesus, which the Gospels record as occurring on the first day of the week (Wikipedia).
Why do Eastern and Western Easter sometimes differ?
Eastern Orthodox churches use the Julian calendar for the equinox and full moon calculation, while Western churches use the Gregorian calendar. This can cause the dates to differ by up to five weeks. In 2025, Orthodox Easter fell on April 20 as well? Actually, in 2025 they aligned, but often they differ (Wikipedia).
What is the computus?
Computus is the Latin term for the calculation method used to determine the date of Easter. It involves lunisolar cycles and was formalized in the 6th century by Dionysius Exiguus (BBC Bitesize).
Does Easter ever fall on the same date two years in a row?
Yes, Easter can fall on the same date two years in a row. For example, Easter 2028 and 2029 both fall on April 16? Actually, patterns exist. The cycle repeats every 5.7 million years, but within the Great Paschal Cycle of 532 years, repeats are possible (Wikipedia).
Planning a holiday shopping trip or family meal around Easter? Check Tesco Easter Opening Hours to plan ahead for the holiday period.
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