It's already passed, but it's still worth knowing what day Easter falls on each year. In 2026, it was April 5th, and you probably wondered why it doesn't always fall on the same date. The thing is, it's not a religious whim, but rather it has to do with quite complex astronomical calculations that date back to the year 325 AD.

The rule is this: the date of Easter depends on the Paschal Full Moon, which is the first full moon after the spring equinox (March 21). Easter is always the first Sunday after that full moon. That's why the Gregorian calendar states it can fall between March 22 and April 25. This year, it fell quite early compared to other years.

In the United States, Holy Week started with Ash Wednesday on February 18, followed by Palm Sunday on March 29, and Good Friday on April 3. Many people in cities like New York participated in religious services and traditional festivities: parades with decorated hats, colored eggs, all that represents renewal and spring.

What's interesting is that it's not a federal holiday nationwide, although many companies close. Good Friday does have official status in ten jurisdictions like Connecticut and New Jersey. And if you follow the Orthodox tradition, your Easter was on April 12, because they use the Julian calendar and the equinox falls on a different date for them. Every year is a different mess, but that's how it works.