When is Easter in 2024? How is the date determined every year?
Easter Sunday is the day when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, usually 40 days after Lent. It is considered the most important and sacred day of the Christian calendar and is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. However, the date of the festival keeps changing every year. When is Easter in 2024?
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Easter Sunday is a day of joy and celebration for Christians around the world. Many attend church services, where they sing hymns and listen to sermons about the resurrection of Jesus. Some churches also hold special events, such as Easter egg hunts or sunrise services, to mark the occasion. Discover when is Easter Sunday in 2024 below.
When is Easter in 2024?
The festival is on Sunday, 31 March 2024. Christians will celebrate Good Friday on 29 March and Easter Monday on 1 April 2024. Easter is always celebrated on a Sunday. It marks the third day after Jesus was crucified and died. Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day.
What are the Easter dates for 2024?
The table below shows the Easter dates for 2024.
| Occasion | Dates |
| Easter Sunday | Sunday, 31 March 2024 |
| Good Friday | Friday, 29 March 2024 |
| Easter Monday | Monday, 1 April 2024 |
What are the holidays for Easter in 2024?
Easter festival is a public holiday in many Christian countries when workers stay home and spend time with their families watching Easter movies and catching up. Most countries have holidays, starting on Good Friday and ending on Easter Monday.
When is Orthodox Easter in 2024?
Orthodox Easter, also called Pascha, will be celebrated on Sunday, 5 May 2024.
How is Easter determined every year?
The date of the festival is determined by a complex set of rules known as the computus. Its determination can be compared to the complex rules that govern the Islamic holiday, Eid al-Fitr, and the Ramadan period of fasting.
In Western Christianity, the Christian celebration falls on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox (usually 21 March). However, the calculation involves several additional factors, including the date of the ecclesiastical full moon, which does not always correspond to the astronomical full moon, and the 19-year cycle of the Metonic cycle.
Source: UGC
The computus is based on a combination of astronomical observations and ecclesiastical rules. The vernal equinox date is determined astronomically, while the full moon date is determined ecclesiastical.
The Church uses the ecclesiastical full moon rather than the astronomical one because a fixed set of religious rules determines the former. In contrast, the latter can vary slightly from year to year.
The computus was developed over several centuries and has undergone numerous revisions, but its basic principles have remained essentially unchanged since the Middle Ages.
It is used by Western Christian churches, including the Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Anglican churches, to determine the date of Easter each year.
Why does Easter change every year?
Easter changes yearly because it is a moveable feast. The date is calculated according to rules based on the lunar and solar calendars.
In Western Christianity, the date of Easter Sunday is determined by the first full moon following the vernal equinox, when the sun is directly above the equator and day and night are of equal length. The vernal equinox always occurs on March 20th or 21st, but the date of the first full moon after the equinox can vary from year to year.
Easter Sunday in the Western Christian calendar can fall on any Sunday between 22 March and 25 April. The reason for this system is rooted in the early history of Christianity when Easter was linked to the Jewish holiday of Passover, which was also determined by the lunar calendar.
Therefore, Easter dates change yearly because it is based on a combination of the solar and lunar calendars, which do not always align precisely.
Why is Easter always on a Sunday?
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The festival is always celebrated on a Sunday because Jesus Christ is believed to have risen from the dead on a Sunday. In the Christian tradition, the resurrection of Jesus is believed to have occurred on the third day after his crucifixion, which was on a Friday.
This day is known as Good Friday. The following Sunday, the day Jesus was discovered to have risen from the dead, is known as Easter Sunday. The early Christian Church chose Sunday as the day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus to distinguish it from the Jewish Sabbath, which is observed on Saturday.
Sunday was also an important day for the early Christians because it was believed to be the day of creation and the day of the first appearance of the risen Christ to his disciples. It also works as Sunday is a day of worship, so Church program themes can be crafted around the holiday.
Is Easter on the same date in every country?
The date of Easter is not the same in every country. The festival is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. This means that Easter can fall between 22 March and 25 April.
Different Christian denominations use different calendars to determine the date of Easter; thus, the date may differ between countries. For example, the Eastern Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar, while the Western Christian Church uses the Gregorian calendar. Therefore, the date of Easter may vary according to the country's calendar.
In addition, some countries may celebrate Easter on a different day or have different traditions associated with the holiday. For example, some countries celebrate Easter Monday as a public holiday, while others do not.
Why is Easter Sunday important?
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Easter Sunday is essential to the Christian community as it signifies the day Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Christians believe that in His resurrection, their sins are forgiven and assured of eternal life.
In addition to its religious significance, Easter Sunday has become a secular holiday in many countries. People often exchange Easter eggs, symbolising new life and rebirth, and share meals and text messages with family and friends. In some countries, such as the United States, the Easter Bunny is also a famous symbol associated with the holiday.
Which countries do not celebrate Easter Sunday?
Some countries do not celebrate Easter as a national holiday or religious observance. The reasons vary, but most countries that don't celebrate the holiday do so because they have a small Christian population.
- Japan
- China
- Israel
- Saudi Arabia
- North Korea
- Mongolia
- Uzbekistan
- Kazakhstan
- Vietnam
Christians worldwide celebrate Easter as the day when Jesus Christ gave them salvation and eternal life after His crucifixion, death and resurrection. However, some countries around the world pay no regard to the holiday. Christians living in those countries, though not so many, still pay keen observance to Easter Sunday celebrations. Most importantly, now you know when is Easter in 2024 and how the date is determined.
Legit.ng recently published an article about Eid al-Fitr. This is a religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide. It marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, which is 30 days of fasting and doing good deeds.
Ramadan is an annual observance, but it does not have a fixed date. The date is flexible and changes every year, depending on a complex calculation based on moon sightings. Read more about Eid al-Fitr, how the holiday is celebrated, and the traditions behind this religious observance.
Source: Legit.ng
Adrianna Simwa (Lifestyle writer) Adrianna Simwa is a content writer at Legit.ng where she has worked since mid-2022. She has written for many periodicals on a variety of subjects, including news, celebrities, and lifestyle, for more than three years. She has worked for The Hoth, The Standard Group and Triple P Media. Adrianna graduated from Nairobi University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 2020. In 2023, Simwa finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can reach her through her email: adriannasimwa@gmail.com
Wilbroda Onyango (Lifestyle writer) Wilbroda Onyango is a content creator and writer with over 4 years of experience. She has worked as an entertainment journalist, creating content across over 5 African countries, most notably for Zalebs.com, Young, Gifted & Blacc, and Africa New Media Group. Wilbroda joined Legit.com as a writer in June 2022, covering celebrity biographies, guides and listicles for Ask Legit. In 2023, Wilbroda finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. Email: akinyionyango@yahoo.com
