When is Easter 2026? How is the date determined?
Every spring, we have to ask: When is Easter?
And the answer changes every year.
This year, churches in the western tradition including Catholics and Protestants will observe Easter on April 5. Eastern Orthodox churches will celebrate a week later, on April 12.
Easter is a moveable Christian feast that changes year to year based on the Jewish festival of Passover. The difference in dates for Eastern and Western churches goes back to an ancient dispute about the calculation of the holiday.
The Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. ruled Easter would be held on the Sunday following the fourteenth day of the Passover moon – the moon that appears on or after the vernal equinox.
The Council of Nicea based its calculations for Easter on the Julian calendar and said it must come after the Jewish Passover, and the Orthodox still follow that formulation.
A schism between Catholics and the Orthodox took place in 1054 A.D., ending the unity of the Christian church. The Gregorian calendar in use today through most of the world was established in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, but most Orthodox do not use it.
The Orthodox always observe Easter after Passover, which this year begins at sundown on April 1 and ends at sundown on April 9, putting Orthodox Easter on the following Sunday, April 12.
So, Roman Catholics and Protestants this year will be observing Good Friday and Easter during the Jewish Passover this year.
Jesus went to Jerusalem to observe Passover before his crucifixion. Good Friday is the Christian observance of his crucifixion. Easter is the celebration of his resurrection.
Rather than Easter, the Orthodox prefer the term Pascha. For them, It’s a Christian version of the Jewish holiday of Passover, with Jesus believed to be taking the place of the sacrificial Paschal lamb.
For the Eastern Orthodox, Easter must always come after the Jewish holiday of Passover. For western churches, Easter sometimes falls before the end of Passover, as happened this year.
The 40-day season of preparation for Easter is called Lent, and that began on Ash Wednesday, which was Feb. 18.
As families gather to mark the season, some are also exploring ways to reflect the historical roots of these observances. The Israeli Wine Producers Association (IWPA), which represents nearly 40 wineries across Israel, brings together both boutique and leading producers to introduce American audiences to the country’s wines.
Rather than Easter, the Orthodox prefer the term Pascha. For them, It’s a Christian version of the Jewish holiday of Passover, with Jesus believed to be taking the place of the sacrificial Paschal lamb.
For the Eastern Orthodox, Easter must always come after the Jewish holiday of Passover. For western churches, Easter sometimes falls before the end of Passover, as happened this year.
The 40-day season of preparation for Easter is called Lent, and that began on Ash Wednesday, which was Feb. 18.
As families gather to mark the season, some are also exploring ways to reflect the historical roots of these observances. The Israeli Wine Producers Association (IWPA), which represents nearly 40 wineries across Israel, brings together both boutique and leading producers to introduce American audiences to the country’s wines.