Easter 2025 Date: April 20, Good Friday & Traditions

Easter Sunday 2025 falls on April 20, one of the latest possible dates for the holiday. This article breaks down the exact dates, explains why Easter moves around, and looks at the traditions that surround it.

Easter 2025 Date: April 20, 2025 ·
Easter Date Range: March 22 – April 25 ·
Calculation Rule: First Sunday after first full moon on or after spring equinox

Five key facts about Easter 2025, one pattern: the date is driven by the Paschal full moon and the fixed spring equinox rule.

What date is Easter 2025?

Easter Sunday in 2025 lands on April 20. The date is set by an ancient church rule: Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon that follows the spring equinox. For calculation purposes, the equinox is fixed at March 21, and the full moon used is the ecclesiastical Paschal full moon, not necessarily the astronomical one.BBC Bitesize (UK educational site) confirms that in 2025 the first full moon after March 21 occurs on April 13, pushing Easter to April 20.

The pattern: April 20 is among the latest possible Easter dates, sharing the calendar with late April holidays and prompting schools and businesses to adjust spring break schedules.

What dates are Good Friday and Easter Monday in 2025?

Good Friday falls on April 18, 2025, and Easter Monday on April 21, 2025 in countries where it is a public holiday. BBC Newsround (children’s news) reports that Good Friday is April 18, and CalendarDate (date reference) lists Easter Monday as April 21. These dates form the core of Holy Week, which begins with Palm Sunday on April 13 and includes Maundy Thursday (April 17), Holy Saturday (April 19), and Easter Sunday.

The implication: for Irish families, the Easter Monday bank holiday falls on April 21, giving a four-day weekend from Good Friday through Easter Monday.

Why is Easter so late in 2025?

Easter 2025 is late because the Paschal full moon arrives in mid-April. WCNC (US news outlet) explains that April 20 is one of the latest possible dates, and WRAL (US news outlet) notes that the first full moon after the equinox happens on April 13, making the following Sunday April 20. By contrast, an early Easter like 2026 (March 29) occurs when the Paschal full moon falls shortly after the equinox, compressing the waiting period.

• Spring equinox (fixed March 21) – BBC Bitesize
• First full moon after March 21: April 13, 2025 – BBC Newsround
• Easter Sunday: April 20 – Tempo English (international news)

The catch: a late Easter affects school calendars, exam schedules, and travel plans. In Ireland, the spring mid-term break usually falls in mid-February, but the Easter holidays shift to align with Holy Week, meaning a later Easter pushes the two-week break into April.

Why does the date of Easter move around?

Easter is a movable feast because it is tied to the lunisolar calendar. The Council of Nicaea in 325 CE established the rule: Easter falls on the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon, which is the first full moon on or after the spring equinox (WRAL). Because the lunar month (29.5 days) does not align evenly with the solar year (365.25 days), the date drifts each year between March 22 and April 25.

• Easter can never be earlier than March 22 or later than April 25 – WCNC
• In 2025, Western and Eastern churches celebrate Easter on the same date, April 20 – WRAL
• Orthodox Christians generally use the Julian calendar, which can push their Easter later than the Gregorian date – IOL (South African news)

What this means: the shifting date creates a ripple effect on public holidays, school terms, and religious observances across the world. In Ireland, the Easter Sunday date determines when the Easter Rising commemorations and other spring events occur.

What is the rarest date for Easter?

Easter can never fall on March 21 or April 26 because of the fixed March 21 equinox and the 25-day range. The least common dates are the extremes: March 22 and April 25. WCNC confirms the range, and statistical analysis of the Gregorian calendar shows that March 22 occurs about 0.5% of the time, while April 25 occurs about 0.8% of the time. April 20, 2025, falls in the latter half of the range, making it a relatively rare late date.

The trade-off: a late Easter means longer daylight hours and warmer weather for outdoor celebrations, but also conflicts with late April school exams and university study periods.

Timeline: Holy Week 2025

Six key dates mark the progression from Palm Sunday to Easter Monday.

• April 13 (Palm Sunday) – Commemorates Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem. Processions and palm distribution.
• April 17 (Maundy Thursday) – Remembers the Last Supper. Foot washing ceremonies in many churches.
• April 18 (Good Friday) – Crucifixion observed. Many Christians fast and attend three-hour services.
• April 19 (Holy Saturday) – Day of mourning and vigil. Easter Vigil services begin after sunset.
• April 20 (Easter Sunday) – Resurrection celebrated. Egg hunts, family meals, church services.
• April 21 (Easter Monday) – Public holiday in Ireland, UK, and many Commonwealth countries. Parades, egg rolling.

The pattern: the late date means that Easter Monday falls on April 21, giving a four-day weekend that sits at the very end of the school spring break in Ireland.

Confirmed facts vs. What’s unclear

Expert perspectives on Easter 2025

Easter Sunday 2025 falls on April 20. In Ireland, schools will be closed for the Easter break from Good Friday, April 18, to Easter Monday, April 21.

Citizens Information (Irish government site)

Easter 2025 is one of the latest possible dates, falling on April 20. The reason is the Paschal full moon occurs on April 13, making the following Sunday Easter.

Today.com (US lifestyle news)

Easter is a movable feast because it is tied to the lunar calendar. The date is set as the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox.

BBC Bitesize (UK educational site)

Future Easter dates: 2025 – April 20; 2026 – March 29; 2027 – April 16.

Passion Trust (Christian organization)

For Irish families, the late Easter means school holidays shift later into April, giving an extra week of spring weather but also conflicting with the start of summer sports and music festivals. The implication is clear: plan your Easter break around the April 20 date, and be aware that the 2026 Easter will come much earlier, on March 29.

Frequently asked questions

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