When is Easter 2025?

We look at the coincidence of what day Easter falls on this year, and what lessons we can draw from it.

When is Easter 2025?

Easter 2025 falls on Sunday 20th April, but why is Easter on a different date every year?

For centuries now, it's not the calendar that determines Easter but the moon's position. This makes Easter a moveable feast. Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the full first moon that comes after March 21st. This means that unlike Christmas with its fixed date of 25th December, Easter changes year-on-year. Last year Easter was on the 31st of March and before that, it was on the 19th April.

But what's so special about March 21st?

March 21st is the Church's date for the March Equinox. It's the turning point in the year when the days begin to get longer and lighter again. Whilst the actual March Equinox can take place a couple days either side of the 21st, depending on the time zone.

This first full moon goes by another name: the Paschal Full Moon.

That name paschal, which relates to Passover, also turns up in a couple of other places in Easter. Most significantly in Paschal Candles, which are large white liturgical candles used in Church. The biggest candle in a Church will always be the Paschal candle.

Because we can plot the dates of full moons after the March Equinox, the future dates of Easter can be figured out.

When is Easter for the next five years?

2026 - Sunday 5th April

2027 - Sunday 28th March

2028 - Sunday 16th April

2029 - Sunday 1st April

2030 - Sunday 21st April

But, Easter isn't just one date. It's a season. There are a number of key celebrations and remembrances over the season of Easter. When someone asks 'when is Easter?', the day in question is known as Easter Sunday.

The Easter season is filled with meaningful days. Before Easter Sunday the days are known as Lent and Holy Week and focus on the coming death of Christ in the Gospels. Afterwards, and up to Pentecost, it's called Eastertide and it focuses on the resurrection of Christ and the coming of God's Spirit. When is Easter and its key dates?

Here is a quick list of the key dates over Easter 2025:

Lent begins (Ash Wednesday 2025): 5th March 2025

Palm Sunday : 13th April 2025

Holy Week 2025: 13th April - 20th April 2025

Annunciation 2025: 25th March 2025

Maundy Thursday 2025: 17th April 2025

Good Friday 2025: 18th April 2025

Holy Saturday 2025: 19th April 2025

Easter Sunday 2025: 20th April 2025

Ascension Day 2025: 29th May 2025

Pentecost 2025: 8th June 2025

After answering 'when is Easter?', you may still have some questions. Why do we still celebrate Easter? What is the best way to celebrate Easter?

To find out more about the meaning of Easter, here are a couple of books that we think share the Easter message in a clear and memorable way:

Why Easter?

"Why Easter? is the Easter version of Nicky Gumbel's popular Alpha Course booklet, 'Why Jesus?'

It's easy to read the 24-page guest manual with useful illustrations from Charlie Mackesy (the author and illustrated of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse) in a single sitting.

"Why Easter?" explores the following areas:

• Why Easter?
• Why do we need Jesus?
• How do we know Christianity is true?
• Who is Jesus?
• Why did he come?
• Why did he die?
• Common excuses for not accepting the gift
• What do we have to do?
• A simple prayer to start your relationship with God
• What now?

Click here to buy Why Easter?

Journey to the Empty Tomb

"Journey to the Empty Tomb is a gift of biblical scholarship to the worship of the Church and to personal faith from the bestselling author Paula Gooder.

Accessible and informed, it is aimed at all who wish to gain a fuller understanding of the Bible through its key themes and subjects. It is rooted in the conviction that greater understanding leads to deeper devotion. and will also be invaluable for preachers, worship and study group leaders looking for fresh inspiration at a key time in the church's year. This volume focuses on the events leading up to the first Easter - the Gospel accounts of the death and resurrection of Jesus that are at the very heart of the Christian faith.

Beginning with the triumphal entry into Jerusalem and ending at the empty tomb, Paula uses her extensive knowledge of the world of the New Testament, its language and culture, to reveal fresh and startling insights and to open up hidden depths in these familiar stories."

Click here to buy Journey to the Empty Tomb

Visit our Easter Store for even more Easter cards, Easter books and resources. Don't forget to get your Meaningful Chocolate Easter Eggs early this year!