When is Easter?
In 2024 Easter Sunday is on 31 March. The week leading up to Easter is called Holy Week.
The date of Easter Sunday varies from year to year. It is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon, on or after 21 March.
Holy Week
Palm Sunday
This is the Sunday before Easter Sunday.
It is the first day of Holy Week and celebrates Jesus’s arrival in Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Crowds of people came out of the city to greet him, throwing down palm branches on the road.
Anglican and Roman Catholic churches give out small crosses made from palm leaves, as a reminder of Jesus’s entrance into Jerusalem and his death on the cross. Some Christians keep these in their homes all year as a symbol of their faith.
Good Friday
Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday. It commemorates the execution of Jesus by crucifixion.
Good Friday is a day of mourning in church. During special Good Friday services Christians remember Jesus’s suffering and death on the cross, and what this means for their faith.
In some countries, there are special Good Friday processions, or re-enactments of the Crucifixion.