When Is Easter? Dates for 2026–2040 Explained
Every Easter Sunday from 2026 to 2040, how the date is computed from the paschal full moon, and why Western and Orthodox Easter often differ.
Easter Sunday 2026 falls on Sunday, April 5, 2026. Easter is the ultimate movable feast: its date is locked neither to a calendar day nor to a fixed weekday, but to the sky. From today, Easter is 152 days away — see the live Easter countdown.
Easter Sunday dates, 2026–2040
| Year | Date | Weekday |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | April 5, 2026 | Sunday |
| 2027 | March 28, 2027 | Sunday |
| 2028 | April 16, 2028 | Sunday |
| 2029 | April 1, 2029 | Sunday |
| 2030 | April 21, 2030 | Sunday |
| 2031 | April 13, 2031 | Sunday |
| 2032 | March 28, 2032 | Sunday |
| 2033 | April 17, 2033 | Sunday |
| 2034 | April 9, 2034 | Sunday |
| 2035 | March 25, 2035 | Sunday |
| 2036 | April 13, 2036 | Sunday |
| 2037 | April 5, 2037 | Sunday |
| 2038 | April 25, 2038 | Sunday |
| 2039 | April 10, 2039 | Sunday |
| 2040 | April 1, 2040 | Sunday |
How the date is calculated
The rule comes from the First Council of Nicaea in AD 325: Easter is the first Sunday after the paschal full moon — the first full moon on or after the spring equinox (fixed as March 21 for the computation). That chains three cycles together: the lunar cycle that fixes the full moon, the equinox that anchors it, and the weekday rule that picks the Sunday. The result can land anywhere between March 22 and April 25.
- Earliest possible Easter: March 22 (last occurred in 1818, next in 2285)
- Latest possible Easter: April 25 (last in 1943, next in 2038)
- In 2038 Easter falls on April 25 — the latest date of this table's range
Why Orthodox Easter is often later
Eastern Orthodox churches compute the paschal full moon with the Julian calendar, which now runs 13 days behind the Gregorian. Orthodox Easter therefore lands between April 4 and May 8, and in some years — such as 2025 — the two traditions celebrate on the same day. In 2026, Orthodox Easter falls on April 12, one week after the Western date.
Dates that hang off Easter
- Ash Wednesday: 46 days before Easter, opening Lent
- Good Friday: the Friday before Easter
- Mother's Day (US): second Sunday of May — a fixed date, unlike Easter
- Easter Monday: the day after, a public holiday across much of Europe
Frequently asked questions
When is Easter 2027?
Easter Sunday 2027 falls on March 28, 2027.
Why does Easter move every year?
Easter is set as the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after March 21, so it shifts with both the lunar cycle and the calendar — anywhere from March 22 to April 25.
What is the rarest Easter date?
March 22 is the rarest — it last occurred in 1818 and will not happen again until 2285.