Easter is one of those holidays that just refuses to sit still. One year you're hunting eggs in a heavy coat and the next you're basically in summer shorts. If you've looked at your calendar lately and felt like something was off, you’re right. Determining when is easter in 2025 leads us to a date that feels surprisingly late: Sunday, April 20.
Most people just assume it’s the "middle of spring." But April 20 is pushing it.
It’s almost a full month later than the 2024 date, which fell on March 31. This massive swing happens because Easter isn't fixed to the solar calendar like Christmas. It’s tied to the moon. Specifically, it follows a rule established way back in 325 AD at the Council of Nicaea. The rule is simple enough on paper: Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the vernal equinox.
Because the equinox is fixed at March 21, and lunar cycles are roughly 29.5 days, the date can bounce anywhere between March 22 and April 25. In 2025, the timing of that "Paschal Full Moon" forces the holiday nearly to its latest possible limit.
The math behind the April 20 date
Why does this matter? Well, for anyone planning a wedding, a spring break trip, or even just a brunch, that three-week shift from the previous year changes everything.
The moon is the culprit. In 2025, the spring equinox hits on March 20. However, the first full moon after that date doesn't show up until Sunday, April 13. Since Easter must be the following Sunday, we land on April 20.
If that full moon had happened just a few days earlier—say, March 22—we’d be eating chocolate bunnies in March. But the lunar cycle missed the window. It’s a game of celestial tag. Honestly, it’s kind of wild that in our hyper-digital age, our modern bank holidays are still dictated by 4th-century astronomical calculations.
This late date has some weird ripple effects. For one, it usually means better weather for the Northern Hemisphere. You’re much less likely to have an "Easter Blizzard" on April 20 than you are in late March.
When is easter in 2025 for Orthodox Christians?
This is where things get even more confusing. While most of the Western world (Protestant and Catholic) uses the Gregorian calendar, Orthodox churches often use the Julian calendar to calculate their holy days.
Usually, there’s a gap. Sometimes it’s one week, sometimes it’s five.
But 2025 is a rare "unity" year. In a beautiful bit of mathematical coincidence, both the Gregorian and Julian calculations align perfectly. Both Western and Eastern Christianity will celebrate Easter on April 20, 2025.
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This doesn’t happen every year. In fact, it’s fairly uncommon. The last time the dates coincided was 2017, and after 2025, it won't happen again until 2028. For families that are "inter-church" or for global travel planning, this alignment makes 2025 a massive year for religious tourism and family gatherings.
Why the late date actually changes your wallet
Retailers hate late Easters. Or they love them. It depends on who you ask.
When Easter is in March, people buy candy and then they buy spring clothes later. It’s two separate spending cycles. But when when is easter in 2025 lands in late April, those two windows merge. You're buying the ham, the candy, the gardening supplies, and the summer dresses all at once.
Historically, a late Easter is great for the fashion industry. Why? Because it’s actually warm enough to wear the "Easter outfit" immediately. No one wants to buy a linen suit when there’s slush on the ground. By April 20, the ground is thawed. The tulips are actually up.
But it’s tough on the candy makers. They have to keep Peeps and chocolate eggs on the shelves for much longer, which eats up valuable floor space that usually goes to "Early Summer" or "Mother's Day" merchandise. Expect to see some weird clearance sales in mid-April as stores try to clear out the bunnies to make room for charcoal grills.
Schools and the "Spring Break" disaster
Every school district handles spring break differently. Some pick a fixed week in March. Others anchor it to Easter.
In 2025, districts that anchor their break to Easter are going to have a very long, grueling stretch of classes from January to late April. We’re talking nearly four months without a major break. If you’re a parent or a teacher, you need to prepare for that "March slump."
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- Fixed breaks: Usually the second or third week of March.
- Variable breaks: These will fall the week before or after April 20.
If your local school uses the variable model, your kids will be in school while everyone else is at the beach in March. Then, by the time April 20 rolls around, the weather might be too hot for some traditional spring destinations. It’s a logistical puzzle.
The "Real" reason it's on April 20
I mentioned the Council of Nicaea earlier. They wanted to ensure Easter didn't fall on the same day as Passover, though they are fundamentally linked.
Passover in 2025 begins at sundown on Saturday, April 12 and ends on the evening of April 20.
This means the entire Holy Week for Christians happens while the Jewish community is observing Passover. In years with a late Easter, these two significant religious periods overlap almost perfectly. This creates a high-demand window for travel to places like Jerusalem or Rome. If you're planning to visit any religious landmarks during this time, you probably should have booked your flights six months ago. Seriously.
Don't forget the "other" dates
While April 20 is the big day, the entire season shifts with it.
- Ash Wednesday: March 5, 2025. This is very late. Usually, we’re deep into Lent by late February.
- Mardi Gras / Fat Tuesday: March 4. Expect New Orleans to be absolute chaos this day because the weather will be much milder than the usual February chill.
- Palm Sunday: April 13.
- Good Friday: April 18.
Basically, the entire first quarter of 2025 is going to feel "holiday-light." January and February are just... January and February. The "spring season" doesn't truly kick off until we're well into March.
Prepare for the shift
Because we’ve established that when is easter in 2025 is April 20, you have to adjust your internal clock.
If you're a gardener, this is your year. You won't be rushing to get things blooming for a March photo-op. You have time. If you're a traveler, look for "shoulder season" deals in March since the traditional Easter crowd won't be moving until late April.
The most important thing is the overlap of the calendars. Having both Western and Eastern traditions celebrate on the same day is a rare logistical gift for international families. It simplifies everything. No double-dinners. No "which Easter are we doing this year?"
Just one Sunday. Late in the month.
Actionable steps for the 2025 season
- Check your school calendar now. If your district ties break to Easter, you have a very long winter ahead. Plan a "long weekend" in early March to avoid burnout.
- Book travel by October. With both Easters and Passover coinciding, the "April 12–21" window will be one of the most expensive travel weeks of 2025.
- Adjust your garden planting. Don't try to force early blooms. With an April 20 holiday, you can rely on natural mid-spring perennials like late tulips and azaleas for decorations.
- Watch the meat prices. Since Passover and Easter overlap, demand for brisket, lamb, and ham will spike simultaneously in mid-April. Buying early and freezing might save you 20%.
The late date of April 20, 2025, isn't just a trivia point. It’s a shift in the entire rhythm of the year. From the way schools run to the way we buy our groceries, the moon is calling the shots. Be ready for a long winter and a very short, intense spring.