What Day Is Easter 2025 – Exact Date, UK Holidays & Key Facts
Easter Sunday 2025 falls on 20 April 2025 for Western churches, with Good Friday on 18 April and Easter Monday on 21 April — creating a four-day weekend across much of the UK. This article confirms the exact dates, explains the public holiday arrangements, compares the Orthodox date, and provides a forward look at future Easters for planning purposes.
When is Easter 2025?
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Easter Sunday (Western) | 20 April 2025 |
| Good Friday (UK bank holiday) | 18 April 2025 |
| Easter Monday (UK bank holiday) | 21 April 2025 |
| Orthodox Easter Sunday | 13 April 2025 |
Easter is a movable feast, meaning its date shifts each year. The 2025 observance lands on 20 April — one of the later possible dates — something explained by the underlying calculation method.
- Easter 2025 falls on 20 April, the latest date since 2014; the next occurrence this late will be 2038.
- UK bank holidays are Good Friday (18 April) and Easter Monday (21 April), both public holidays in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Ireland.
- Orthodox Easter in 2025 is a week earlier — 13 April — due to the Julian calendar calculation used by many Eastern churches.
- Future Easters include 5 April 2026, 16 April 2028, and 21 April 2030, helping readers plan ahead.
- School holidays around Easter 2025 typically run from roughly 7 April to 21 April, though exact dates vary by local authority.
- The four-day weekend applies in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland; Scotland observes Good Friday only as a nationwide bank holiday.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date (Western) | 20 April 2025 |
| Significance | Resurrection of Jesus Christ |
| UK Bank Holidays | Good Friday (18 Apr) & Easter Monday (21 Apr) |
| Orthodox Date | 13 April 2025 |
| Why late? | Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox (20 March). In 2025, the full moon is 12 April, pushing Easter to 20 April. |
| Next Easter | 2026 – 5 April (Western), 12 April (Orthodox) |
What day is Easter 2025 holiday? (UK Bank Holidays)
Good Friday 2025 – 18 April
Good Friday is a public holiday across the whole of the United Kingdom. In 2025 it falls on Friday 18 April and marks the beginning of the long Easter weekend. The UK Government bank holiday list confirms this date for England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Easter Monday 2025 – 21 April
Easter Monday, 21 April 2025, is a bank holiday in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Scotland does not observe Easter Monday as a standard nationwide bank holiday. The combined effect of the two holidays gives most of the UK a consecutive four-day break from Friday 18 April through Monday 21 April.
School holidays and travel planning
Many UK schools schedule their Easter break to align with these dates. A typical pattern runs from Monday 7 April to Monday 21 April 2025, with pupils returning on Tuesday 22 April. However, dates vary by local authority and individual school, so it is always worth checking the specific term calendar.
The four-day weekend means many businesses, retail outlets, and public services operate reduced hours or close entirely on Good Friday and Easter Monday. Travelers should check transport schedules and book accommodation early, as demand rises sharply during this period.
When is Orthodox Easter 2025?
Orthodox Easter Sunday in 2025 falls on 13 April 2025. That is one week earlier than the Western date of 20 April, a divergence caused by the different calendars used by the two traditions.
Why the difference?
Western churches calculate Easter using the Gregorian calendar, while most Orthodox churches continue to follow the Julian calendar. The spring equinox and the paschal full moon are computed differently under each system, producing dates that sometimes coincide and sometimes do not. The Wikipedia article on Computus explains the full calculation method in detail.
Orthodox Easter 2026 and beyond
In 2026, Orthodox Easter Sunday is expected on 12 April, once again falling later than the Western date of 5 April. Devotees of particular church traditions, such as the Russian or Greek Orthodox churches, should consult their specific liturgical calendar for confirmation. The Russian Orthodox Church calendar provides authoritative dates for 2025.
Some Orthodox jurisdictions continue to refine their calendar calculations. While 13 April 2025 is widely accepted, the exact date for a given tradition should be verified against the official calendar of that church, particularly in years where the difference between calendars is minimal.
When is Easter in future years?
Easter 2026: 5 April
Western Easter Sunday 2026 will be observed on 5 April, with Good Friday on 3 April and Easter Monday on 6 April. Orthodox Easter follows one week later on 12 April.
Easter 2027: 28 March
In 2027, Easter returns to late March — 28 March — making it one of the earlier dates in the cycle. The corresponding bank holidays will be Good Friday (26 March) and Easter Monday (29 March).
Easter 2028: 16 April
Easter Sunday 2028 lands on 16 April, with the associated UK public holidays on 14 April (Good Friday) and 17 April (Easter Monday).
Easter 2029: 1 April
1 April 2029 is Easter Sunday, continuing the pattern of shifting dates. Good Friday will be 30 March and Easter Monday 2 April.
Easter 2030: 21 April
Easter returns to a late date in 2030, falling on 21 April — just one day later than the 2025 observance.
Knowing future Easter dates helps with holiday booking, school term planning, and retail scheduling. The range between 22 March (earliest possible) and 25 April (latest possible) means the date can shift by more than a month from one year to the next.
What is the complete Easter timeline for 2025?
The season leading up to Easter includes several key observances. Below is a timeline of the most significant dates for 2025.
- 5 March 2025 – Ash Wednesday (start of Lent)
- 13 April 2025 – Palm Sunday
- 13 April 2025 – Orthodox Easter Sunday
- 17 April 2025 – Maundy Thursday
- 18 April 2025 – Good Friday (UK bank holiday)
- 20 April 2025 – Easter Sunday (Western)
- 21 April 2025 – Easter Monday (UK bank holiday)
The Time and Date entry for Easter 2025 provides additional global observance details. The Catholic Encyclopedia also offers historical background on the development of the Easter calculation.
Is the date of Easter 2025 certain?
Yes — the Western date of 20 April 2025 is fixed and confirmed by multiple authoritative sources. The UK government has also published the statutory bank holiday dates. The only area of potential ambiguity concerns the Orthodox observance, where minor differences may exist depending on the specific church tradition consulted.
| Established information | Information that remains unclear |
|---|---|
| Western Easter 2025: 20 April — confirmed by Wikipedia, church calendars, and government sources. | Orthodox Easter 2025 may vary by one or two days depending on the jurisdiction and calendar version used. |
| UK bank holidays: Good Friday (18 April) and Easter Monday (21 April) — statutory dates published by GOV.UK. | School holiday dates around Easter 2025 vary by local authority and individual school. |
| Orthodox Easter 2025: 13 April — widely accepted across major Orthodox traditions. | Exact retail and public service hours on bank holidays can differ by region and business. |
Why does Easter fall on different dates each year?
Easter is governed by the computus — a set of ecclesiastical rules that tie the date to the lunar cycle. Specifically, Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox (fixed at 20 or 21 March). In 2025, the vernal equinox falls on 20 March, the next full moon is on 12 April, and the following Sunday is 20 April — producing the late date.
The last time Easter fell on 20 April was 2014; the next such occurrence will be 2038. This variability often surprises those accustomed to fixed-date holidays, but it has been the Christian tradition since the First Council of Nicaea in AD 325.
Where can you verify the Easter 2025 dates?
“2025 – April 13 (Orthodox), April 20 (Western).”
“Because of the way the date is calculated, Easter can fall anywhere between March 22 and April 25. In 2025, it’s on the later end of the scale.”
“Good Friday 18 April, Easter Monday 21 April.”
UK Government – Bank Holidays
When is Easter 2025 — the bottom line
Easter Sunday 2025 is on 20 April 2025 for Western churches, with Good Friday on 18 April and Easter Monday on 21 April creating a four-day weekend across most of the UK. Orthodox Easter is observed on 13 April 2025. For a full overview of future dates and holiday planning, see the Easter Sunday 2025 date guide and the UK Easter bank holidays 2025 page.
Frequently asked questions about Easter 2025
When is Easter 2024?
Easter Sunday 2024 was on 31 March.
When was Easter 2026?
Western Easter 2026 is on 5 April. Orthodox Easter 2026 is on 12 April.
What is the earliest possible date for Easter?
Easter can fall as early as 22 March (e.g., 1818) and as late as 25 April (e.g., 1943).
Does Easter 2025 coincide with any other major holidays?
No major civil holidays overlap, but Passover begins at sunset on 12 April 2025 — a rare near-alignment with Orthodox Easter.
Why is Easter 2025 considered late?
The full moon after the spring equinox falls on 12 April, pushing the following Sunday to 20 April — one of the latest dates in the Easter cycle.
Is Easter Monday a bank holiday in Scotland?
No. Scotland observes Good Friday as a nationwide bank holiday but does not give Easter Monday that status.
When does Lent start in 2025?
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which falls on 5 March 2025.
When is Palm Sunday 2025?
Palm Sunday is on 13 April 2025, exactly one week before Easter Sunday.
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