For the first time in a decade: an interesting fact about Easter in 2025

Easter, the biggest holiday in the Christian calendar, has one peculiarity. Believers of the Eastern rite (Orthodox, Greek Catholics) and the Western rite (Catholics, Protestants) celebrate it on different dates. But not always.

In 2025, the entire Christian world will celebrate Easter on the same day. OBOZ.UA explains why the dates usually differ and how often they coincide. And when the holiday will be celebrated in 2025.

Why different Christian churches celebrate Easter in different ways

It's because different churches follow different calendars. Western Christians use the Gregorian calendar, while Eastern Christians use the Julian or New Julian calendar, like the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The key difference between these calendars is the method of calculating the date of Easter.

Both methods are based on the date of the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Easter occurs on the first Sunday after this astronomical event.

However, according to the Julian or New Julian calendar, the vernal equinox falls on April 3, while according to the Gregorian calendar, it falls on March 21. Thus, for Orthodox Christians, Easter cannot come before April 4.

It is noteworthy that this approach brings the Orthodox tradition of celebrating Easter closer to the Jewish approach to determining the date of Passover. These holidays are linked by the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He was arrested and crucified just as he arrived in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. So, logically, the Jewish holiday should be celebrated earlier. The Julian calendar enforces this rule. The Gregorian calendar does not always.

However, from an astronomical point of view, the Gregorian calendar is more accurate. This means that Catholic Easter is always closer to the actual vernal equinox.

When will Christians celebrate Easter in 2025?

The coincidence of the date of Easter according to the Julian (New Julian) and Gregorian calendars occurs every few years. And in 2025, it will happen again. The entire Christian world will celebrate the Resurrection of Christ on April 20.

The last time such a coincidence happened was in 2017. Then the holiday for all Christian denominations fell on April 16. And the next time it will happen in 2028, when we will celebrate the holiday again on April 16. And in 2031, the holiday will fall on April 13.

Subscribe to OBOZ.UA channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events.