What is Easter Sunday?

Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, the central event of the Christian faith. It concludes Holy Week and the three days of the Easter Triduum (Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday). The date is moveable: Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox, placing it between 22 March and 25 April each year.

The word "Easter" is thought to derive from Eostre, a Germanic spring goddess, though the connection is disputed. Early Christians adopted the Hebrew Passover date (Nisan 14) before the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE standardised the Sunday calculation. Eastern Orthodox churches use the Julian calendar, so their Easter typically falls 1–5 weeks later than the Western date.

Easter is celebrated with sunrise church services, the lighting of the Paschal candle, and in many cultures with egg hunts, decorated eggs, and spring flowers — symbols of new life and resurrection. It is a public holiday in the vast majority of countries worldwide.