If you're already looking at the calendar and wondering what day is easter this year, you aren't alone. Honestly, it feels like it jumps around more than the actual bunny does. One year it's freezing in March, and the next, we're practically in beach weather by late April.
For 2026, the big day is Sunday, April 5.
It’s a bit of a "middle-of-the-road" date. Not super early, but definitely not as late as the April 20th celebration we saw last year. If you’re trying to plan a brunch or book a flight to see family, that April 5th date is your North Star. But if you’re Orthodox, hold your horses. You’ve got another week to wait. For the Eastern Orthodox Church, Easter lands on April 12, 2026.
What Day Is Easter This Year: The "Why" Behind the Date
Why does this happen? Why can't we just pick a Sunday in April and stick to it?
Basically, it’s all about the moon. And history. And a little bit of math that makes most people's heads spin. Easter is what's called a "movable feast." Unlike Christmas, which is always December 25th because it follows the solar calendar, Easter follows a lunisolar system.
The "official" rule, established way back at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, is that Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the vernal equinox.
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The Math of the Moon
In 2026, the spring equinox is technically March 20. However, the Church uses a fixed date of March 21 for the equinox to keep things simple.
- The first full moon after March 21 (the Paschal Full Moon) happens to fall on Thursday, April 2, 2026.
- Since the rule says "the Sunday after," we land on April 5.
It's kinda wild to think that a decision made nearly 1,700 years ago still dictates when you buy chocolate eggs today.
Western vs. Orthodox Easter: Why the Split?
You might notice that your Greek or Russian friends are often posting their "Christos Anesti" photos a week or even a month later.
This year, the gap is exactly seven days. Western churches (Catholic and Protestant) use the Gregorian calendar. Most Eastern Orthodox churches still use the Julian calendar to calculate their holy days.
The Julian calendar is currently 13 days behind the Gregorian one. Plus, there’s an extra rule in the East: Easter cannot happen before or during the Jewish Passover. This ensures the biblical timeline—where the Resurrection follows Passover—stays intact. Because of these overlapping rules, the two dates only sync up every few years. The next time we’ll all celebrate on the same day isn’t until 2028.
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Important Dates for your 2026 Calendar
If you're tracking the whole season, here is how the lead-up looks for the Western calendar:
- Ash Wednesday: February 18, 2026 (The official "put down the chocolate" day).
- Palm Sunday: March 29, 2026.
- Good Friday: April 3, 2026.
- Easter Sunday: April 5, 2026.
- Easter Monday: April 6, 2026 (A public holiday in many spots like the UK and Canada).
The Evolution of the Bunny and the Egg
When people ask "what day is easter this year," they usually aren't just thinking about church services. They’re thinking about the "vibe."
The secular side of the holiday is a strange, beautiful mix of traditions. The Easter Bunny isn't actually in the Bible. Surprise! He actually tracks back to German Lutherans. They had the "Easter Hare," who acted a bit like a springtime Santa Claus, judging whether children were good or bad before the holiday.
And the eggs? That's actually more practical than you'd think.
During Lent, people used to fast from meat and animal products, including eggs. But the chickens didn't stop laying them just because it was Lent. To keep the eggs from going to waste, people would hard-boil them. By the time Easter Sunday rolled around, you had a massive surplus of eggs that needed to be eaten. Decorating them became a way to celebrate the end of the fast.
Planning Your 2026 Celebration
Since April 5 is relatively early in the spring, the weather is the biggest wildcard.
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If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, you might be looking at a beautiful sunny morning or a surprise "April showers" situation. Planning an outdoor egg hunt? Always have a Plan B for the living room.
What to check now:
- Travel: Since Easter is a peak travel time, flights for that first week of April are going to spike early.
- Dining: If you have a specific brunch spot in mind, reservations for April 5 usually open up in late February.
- Traditions: If you're dyeing eggs, maybe skip the expensive kits and try natural dyes this year—red cabbage makes a killer blue, and onion skins create a deep, rich gold.
Knowing what day is easter this year early gives you a leg up on the "spring fever" rush. Whether you’re looking for a religious experience, a family tradition, or just an excuse to eat your weight in jelly beans, April 5 is the date to circle in red.
Next Steps for Your Planning:
- Check your local school district’s "Spring Break" schedule, as many align with the April 5th weekend, potentially impacting traffic and crowds.
- Verify if your place of employment observes Easter Monday (April 6) as a holiday, especially if you work for a multinational or government entity.
- If you are attending a specific service, check for "Sunrise Service" times in your area, which typically begin around 6:15 AM to 6:45 AM depending on your latitude.