Easter Sunday, celebrated by Christians around the world to mark the resurrection of Jesus, is today, April 20, 2025. It follows Lent, which is 40 days of prayer, fasting, and reflection, and leads into the Easter season. The Easter season extends for 50 days until Pentecost, which celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus. Easter is a symbol of hope, renewal, and new life.
Interestingly, Easter Sunday doesn’t always fall on the same day each year. In 325 AD, the Council of Nicaea determined the system that established Easter’s date based on the spring equinox and the lunar cycle.
It is calculated based on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the spring equinox. That sounds confusing, so let’s break it down.
- First, determine when the spring equinox occurs. The spring equinox is when the sun crosses the celestial equator, resulting in equal day and night hours. It can be sometime between March 19 and March 21. This year, the spring equinox was on March 20.
- You then have to establish when the first full moon occurs after the spring equinox. This year, the first full moon after the spring equinox occurred on Saturday, April 12 (in North America) and Sunday, April 13 in most of the world.
- Therefore, Easter is the first Sunday after this full moon, so it is today, Sunday, April 20.
May this Easter be a joyous one for you and your family. Happy Easter from the Tidelines team!
–Tidelines Editors
(Image credit: Depositphotos.com)