This year Easter is on 5 April. The date is determined by the timing of key astronomical events, external. It always falls on the first Sunday after the first full Moon that follows the spring equinox.
Over the centuries different parts of the Christian church used different calendars – the Gregorian and the Julian – which meant that the Easter would not always be on the same date around the world.
Attempts to bring everyone together meant that while many eastern European countries now use the Gregorian calendar for civil events, they use the Julian one to mark Orthodox festivals.
The date of the astronomical equinox also tends to naturally fluctuate between 20 and 21 March. In 2026 it happens on 20 March.
However, the Christian church decided to ‘set a fixed’ date for it to help regularise its own calculations and always uses 21 March, external.
As the first full Moon after 21 March is the Pink Moon on April 2, it means Easter is the following Sunday – 5 April.
In a year when the full Moon itself rises on a Sunday, Easter will be set for the following one.
The new Moon marks the start of each lunar month of the Jewish calendar, with the full Moon always falling mid-way through.
Passover begins halfway through Nisan, external, the first month of that calendar, which is with the arrival of the April full Moon, external.
