Unlike other holidays with set dates, Easter Sunday is a moveable feast. This means that the holiday falls on a different date each year, although, of course, it always falls on a Sunday. There is a certain way to calculate when Easter would fall each year, using astronomical observations and the appearance of the full moon. Different groups and countries also celebrate the holiday in different ways.
This year, Easter Sunday falls on April 1, which means Good Friday is on March 30. The Church calculates the date on which Easter Sunday would fall each year by using the vernal equinox and the appearance of the full moon.
Christians celebrate Easter on Sunday, as it is believed that Christ was resurrected three days after his death on Good Friday.
The vernal equinox does not fall on an exact date either, but the Church has pinned it down to March 21 every year. Easter Sunday is thus always the first Sunday after the first full moon that occurs either on or after the vernal equinox. The earliest that Easter Sunday has occurred is March 22, and the latest is April 25 — in the Gregorian Calendar, at least.
The Eastern Orthodox Church still follows the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian. This means that followers of the Eastern Orthodox tradition usually celebrate Easter Sunday on a different, later date. However, there are some years in which Easter Sunday in both the Gregorian and Julian calendars fall on the same date.
Easter Sunday is also celebrated as a holiday in different ways by people in different countries around the world. In the U.S., Easter is celebrated by painting Easter eggs, and the festivities also include the Easter Bunny.
In the U.K., meanwhile, people dress up and dance in formation, give money to the poor, and smash hard-boiled eggs together instead of painting them.
In Brazil, meanwhile, people engage in large outdoor festivities on Good Friday. On Easter Sunday itself, however, people go to church then return home to spend time with family and friends.
In the Greek Eastern Orthodox tradition, meanwhile, people also paint eggs for Easter. However, instead of bright pastel colors, the eggs are dipped in red paint, because the color red represents life and the blood of Christ. The red-dyed eggs are also used in traditional Easter games called "tsougrisma."
Easter Sunday in the Gregorian calendar falls on April 1 this year, while the same holiday in the Julian Calendar falls on April 8.
