Easter 2027 falls on Sunday 28 March for Western churches and Sunday 2 May for Orthodox churches, five weeks apart. Easter marks the Resurrection, the Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead. Church services are free, and visitors are welcome at most public services.
When is Easter 2027
Easter 2027 has two dates because Western and Orthodox churches use different calendars. Western Easter, observed by Catholic, Protestant, and Anglican churches, is Sunday 28 March 2027. Orthodox Easter, also called Pascha, is Sunday 2 May 2027. The two Easters next fall on the same Sunday in 2028, on 16 April. See the Farmers' Almanac guide to the 2027 Easter dates and the moon rule for how both dates are calculated.
| Date 2027 | What happens |
|---|---|
| Wednesday 10 February | Ash Wednesday: Lent begins, about 40 days of preparation before Easter. |
| Sunday 21 March | Palm Sunday (Western): Holy Week begins. |
| Thursday 25 March | Maundy Thursday (Western): the Last Supper is remembered. |
| Friday 26 March | Good Friday (Western): the crucifixion is remembered. |
| Saturday 27 March | Holy Saturday (Western): the Easter Vigil is held after dark. |
| Sunday 28 March | Western Easter Sunday: the Resurrection is celebrated. |
| Monday 29 March | Easter Monday: a public holiday in many countries. |
| Sunday 2 May | Orthodox Easter Sunday (Pascha), with its own Holy Week just before it. |
What is Easter
Easter is the most important festival in the Christian year. It celebrates the Resurrection, the belief that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. Resurrection means coming back to life after death. For Christians, it is the foundation of the faith: the sign that death is not the end, and that God's promise of eternal life holds. Easter ends Lent, about 40 days of fasting, prayer, and reflection that begins on Ash Wednesday. Holy Week is the week before Easter, from Palm Sunday to Holy Saturday. Good Friday is the day Jesus was crucified. The Easter Vigil is the service held after dark on Holy Saturday, leading into Easter Sunday. See the full list of religious festivals in this category.
What happens at Easter
The heart of Easter is the church service. Many churches hold a sunrise service on Easter Sunday, marking the dawn of the Resurrection. The Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night is the longest and most dramatic service of the year, with candles, readings, and baptisms. On Easter Sunday, churches are decorated with white lilies and spring flowers, and services are filled with music and hymns. In Rome, the Pope celebrates Easter Sunday Mass in St Peter's Square, followed at noon by the Urbi et Orbi blessing, a message and blessing for the city and the world. The Mass is free. Arrive very early, because the square fills, and check the official Vatican calendar for current ticket or reservation rules before you travel. Read the Rome Easter guide to papal Masses, the Via Crucis, and holiday tips for how Holy Week in Rome works.
Around the world, Easter takes many local forms. In Spain and the Philippines, solemn processions re-enact the Passion, the suffering and death of Jesus, during Holy Week. In Greece, families crack red-dyed eggs against each other, the red standing for the blood of Christ and the cracked shell for the opened tomb. In Ethiopia, Christians mark the day with intense prayer and a festive meal called Fasika. In New York, the Easter Parade fills Fifth Avenue with spring hats and costumes. In many Western countries, children hunt for hidden dyed or chocolate eggs, and the Easter Bunny leaves baskets of sweets.
Tickets
There is no ticket for Easter itself. Church services are free and open to all. For the largest events, such as the Easter Sunday Mass in St Peter's Square in Rome, arrive very early and check the official Vatican calendar for current ticket or reservation rules, since guidance on free advance reservations varies between sources. Local churches need no booking: walk in, sit down, and join the service. If you want a seat at a famous cathedral on Easter Sunday, arrive well before the service starts.
| What | Ticket | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Local church services | Free | No booking needed. Arrive early for a seat at popular churches. |
| Sunrise services | Free | Often held outdoors. Dress warmly for an early start. |
| Easter Sunday Mass, St Peter's Square, Rome | Free | Arrive very early. Check the official Vatican calendar for reservation rules. |
| Egg hunts and parades | Mostly free | Community events are usually free. Check local listings. |
Eggs, bunnies, and spring
Eggs are the oldest Easter symbol. Long before Christianity, eggs stood for new life, because a chick breaks out of a shell that looks lifeless. Christians adopted the symbol: the egg stands for the tomb, and the chick breaking out stands for the Resurrection. Decorating eggs, dyeing them red, and giving them as gifts are traditions centuries old. The Easter Bunny comes later. It is traced to German Lutheran tradition, where an "Easter Hare" brought eggs to children, and German immigrants carried the custom to America. The English name "Easter" itself is linked by the Venerable Bede, writing in the 700s, to Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. Scholars debate that account, but the spring connection is plain: Easter falls near the spring equinox, and its symbols, eggs, rabbits, lambs, and new flowers, all speak of life returning after winter.
How the festival began
The story of Easter begins in Jerusalem, around 30 AD. According to the New Testament, Jesus was crucified on a Friday, now called Good Friday, and buried in a sealed tomb. On the third day, Sunday, his followers found the tomb empty, and Christians believe he appeared to his disciples over the following forty days. From the start, Christians disagreed about when to mark the Resurrection. Some kept it tied to the Jewish Passover, whatever day of the week that fell on. Others insisted it must always be a Sunday. The First Council of Nicaea, called by the emperor Constantine in 325 AD, settled that Easter would be a Sunday feast, kept apart from the Jewish calendar. The rule that emerged, Easter on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox, is why the date still moves each year. Read the history of Easter, the Easter Bunny, and Easter eggs for the Nicaea rule and the early traditions.
The other great Christian festival is the Christmas date, meaning, and how it is marked. For the full list of festivals across the world, go back to the World Festival and Holiday Calendar.
Safety and visiting tips
- Respect the service: stand, sit, and sing along as others do, or sit quietly if you prefer. Do not talk, take calls, or take flash photos during prayers.
- Dress: wear neat, modest clothes for church. Shoulders and knees covered is the safe choice in most churches.
- Crowds: famous churches and Rome fill fast at Easter. Arrive early, keep your bag closed and in front, and agree a meeting point with your group.
- Closures: Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays in many countries. Shops, banks, and offices may close. Check local listings before you travel.
- Travel: roads and flights are busy over the Easter weekend. Book travel and stays early, especially in Rome and Jerusalem.
- Weather: late March in Europe is cool and changeable. Bring layers and a rain jacket for outdoor services and parades.
- Children: egg hunts are family events, but church services are long and quiet. Explain what to expect so children know when to sit still.
- Photography: ask before photographing people at prayer, and never photograph during the most solemn moments of a service.