So, you’re looking at the calendar for 2026 and realizing something feels a little... off. If you’ve already started planning your spring break or scouting for flight deals to visit family, you might have noticed that the chocolate bunnies aren't showing up when they usually do.
When is Easter next year? Mark your calendar for April 5, 2026.
It’s a bit of a jump from 2025, where we saw a very late Easter on April 20th. While April 5th sits more comfortably in the "mid-spring" category, it still dictates everything from school district "spring breaks" to the blooming schedule of your local botanical garden. Honestly, the way this holiday bounces around is enough to give anyone scheduling whiplash. One year it’s chilly and you’re wearing a coat over your Sunday best; the next, you're hunting for eggs in 80-degree heat.
The Moon, the Equinox, and the Math
Why can’t we just pick a Sunday in April and stick to it?
Blame the Council of Nicaea. Back in A.D. 325, a group of bishops decided that Easter should fall on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the vernal equinox. This means Easter is technically a "movable feast." It’s tied to the lunar cycle rather than our rigid Gregorian calendar.
In 2026, the astronomical spring equinox lands on March 20th. The first full moon after that—the "Paschal Full Moon"—doesn't show up until Thursday, April 2nd. Since the rule says it has to be the following Sunday, we land on April 5th.
It’s worth noting that if the full moon happens to fall on a Sunday, Easter is actually pushed to the next Sunday to ensure it doesn't coincide with Passover. This was a deliberate move by early church leaders to distinguish the two holidays, though they remain intrinsically linked in their historical roots.
Does everyone celebrate on April 5th?
Actually, no.
If you have friends or family in the Orthodox Church, they won't be breaking out the dyed eggs on April 5th. For 2026, Orthodox Easter (Pascha) falls on April 12th.
This discrepancy happens because the Orthodox Church typically uses the Julian calendar to calculate their feast days, whereas Western Christianity (Catholic and Protestant) uses the Gregorian calendar. There's also a requirement in the Orthodox tradition that Easter must take place after the Jewish Passover. Because the Julian calendar currently lags 13 days behind the Gregorian one, these dates often diverge. Every few years, the stars—and the math—align, and both East and West celebrate on the same day. 2025 was one of those rare "unified" years. In 2026, we’re back to being a week apart.
Why 2026 is a Big Year for Travel and Retail
April 5th is a "sweet spot" for the travel industry. When Easter falls in March, people are often dealing with "mud season" in the north or lingering snowstorms. When it’s in late April, it can feel like it's stepping on the toes of Memorial Day planning.
With a mid-April date, we see a massive spike in "shoulder season" travel. Destinations like Charleston, South Carolina, or Savannah, Georgia, are usually in peak bloom during the first week of April. If you're planning a trip to the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C., you might actually find that the Easter crowds and the peak bloom crowds collide in 2026.
Retailers are already sweating the 2026 dates.
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A mid-April Easter gives stores more time to sell spring apparel after the winter clearances. When Easter is early (like in March), stores struggle to get people to buy floral dresses and linen suits when it’s still thirty degrees outside. April 5th is basically the "Goldilocks" date for the economy—not too early, not too late.
The Passover Connection
For those observing Passover in 2026, the holiday begins at sundown on Wednesday, April 1st and ends on the evening of Thursday, April 9th.
This means that the Seder meals will happen just days before the Easter Sunday ham or lamb is served. For multi-faith households, this creates a very busy "Holy Week" cluster. You’ve got April Fool's Day, the start of Passover, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday all packed into a five-day window. It's going to be chaotic.
Predicting the Weather: Will it Rain on Your Parade?
Weather patterns are notoriously fickle, but climatologists often look at "teleconnections" like El Niño or La Niña to guess what early April might look like.
For 2026, early signals suggest we might be moving into a more neutral ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation) phase. What does that mean for your egg hunt?
- The Southeast: Typically sees mild temperatures, but it's the heart of severe thunderstorm season. April 5th is prime time for those afternoon "pop-up" showers.
- The Pacific Northwest: Usually still quite damp. If you're in Seattle or Portland, you’re looking at a 40% chance of needing an umbrella for the sunrise service.
- The Northeast: This is the big gamble. We've seen snow on April 5th in New York and Boston, but more often it’s that "light jacket" weather where the crocuses are just starting to poke through.
Honestly, if you're hosting an outdoor event, have a "Plan B" involving a tent or a cleared-out living room. April is the month of atmospheric indecision.
Fun Facts About April 5th Easters
It’s not a particularly rare date, but it’s not common either. The last time Easter fell on April 5th was in 2015. Before that? 1953.
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Historically, some pretty major events have happened on this specific calendar day. In 1722, Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen stumbled upon a tiny island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean on Easter Sunday. He named it—quite literally—Easter Island. While the 2026 date isn't an anniversary of that discovery (which happened on a different day of the month), the "Easter" branding stuck for centuries.
How to Prepare for the 2026 Spring Season
Since you now know the date is April 5th, you can actually beat the rush. Most people don't think about spring until the Super Bowl is over.
- Book Flights by October 2025. If you’re flying to Florida, Arizona, or any "spring break" hub, the prices for the week leading up to April 5th will start to climb significantly once the holiday season ends.
- Check School Calendars. Many districts tie their "Spring Break" to the week following Easter. Others keep it fixed to the second week of April. In 2026, these will likely align, meaning record crowds at Disney World and Universal Studios.
- Garden Planning. If you want lilies or tulips in your yard specifically for the holiday, you need to be mindful of your hardiness zone. For most of the U.S., April 5th is a bit early for "natural" blooms of tropical lilies, so you'll likely be buying hothouse-grown plants from local nurseries.
- Dining Reservations. If you have a specific brunch spot in mind, remember that April 5th is one of the busiest dining days of the year. Most high-end restaurants open their 2026 bookings 30 to 60 days in advance. Set a reminder for early February.
Actionable Insights for 2026 Planning
- Financial Tip: Start a "Holiday Fund" in January. Because Easter falls so close to the beginning of the month in April, it can coincide with rent or mortgage payments, making that big family dinner feel a bit more expensive than usual.
- Travel Strategy: If you want to avoid the Easter surcharge, travel the week after April 12th. By then, the Orthodox Easter is over, the spring break crowds have mostly thinned out, and the "shoulder season" discounts start to kick in.
- Photography: For those planning family portraits, the "golden hour" on April 5, 2026, will occur around 7:15 PM in many central U.S. locations (depending on your specific latitude). Plan your photos for late afternoon to get that soft spring light without the harsh midday shadows.
Knowing that Easter is April 5th gives you a massive head start on everyone else who will be frantically Googling this in March of 2026. Use the extra time to find the good candy—the stuff that doesn't taste like wax—and get those brunch reservations locked in before the rest of the world wakes up to the spring sunshine.