Easter 2023: How and when is it celebrated this year

Easter is the Christian festival that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The story behind Easter lies in the New Testament of the Bible, which narrates how the Roman authorities arrested Jesus because he claimed to be the Son of God and was later crucified. His resurrection three days later marks the occasion of Easter.

Easter concludes the “Passion of Christ,” which begins with a 40 days period of fasting – Lent and is concluded by the Holy Week. Holy Thursday (celebration of Jesus’s last supper) and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday are part of the Holy Week which ends on Easter Sunday.

As we prepare to welcome the festivities, here are the date, calendar, and guide to celebrating Easter 2023 around the world.

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Easter date 2023

Easter is on different dates each year, between March 21 and April 25, depending on when there’s a full moon in Spring. In 2023, Easter falls on Sunday, April 9.

Easter Sunday and related celebrations, such as Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday, are considered “moveable feasts.” However, in western Christianity, which follows the Gregorian calendar, Easter always falls on a Sunday between March 21 and April 25.

Easter typically falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the spring equinox. In Eastern Orthodox Christianity, which adheres to the Julian calendar, Easter falls on a Sunday between April 4 and May 8 each year.

How Easter is celebrated 

Easter is celebrated as a joyous occasion, and the Sunday prior is called Palm Sunday, which marks the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem. Various churches begin the celebration in the late hours of Saturday through a religious service called Easter Vigil.

Notably, Easter is also associated with the Jewish holiday of Passover and the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, as described in the Old Testament.

Chocolate-filled eggs or brightly painted eggs with sweets inside are common gifts exchanged on Easter. People choose to loosen their purse strings and splurge on the Easter weekend as the celebrations arrive after a 40-day lent period.

Non–religious celebrations include Easter eggs’ tradition, which represents fertility and birth, and the Easter bunny, which delivers chocolates and sweets to kids on Sunday morning. Some other non-religious Easter traditions include a treasure hunt searching for Easter eggs and games such as egg rolling and egg decorating.

This article was first published in Wego.