As Easter draws near, many people are wondering why it’s falling so late in April this year.
While Christmas is always on December 25, Easter is a movable holiday, meaning its date shifts each year.
In 2025, Easter Sunday will fall on April 20, which is later than usual. But what factors determine when Easter occurs, and why is it happening later this time around?
How Easter’s Date is Determined
The date of Easter is based on two main factors:
- The First Full Moon After the March Equinox: Tradition holds that Easter Sunday is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the March equinox (the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere).
- The Gregorian Calendar: The church uses an “ecclesiastical moon” (an approximation of the true astronomical moon) to calculate the date, not the exact lunar event itself.
Why Easter Is Late in 2025
In 2025, the March equinox occurred on March 20, and the first full moon following that date will occur on April 13. The first Sunday after this full moon will be April 20, which is Easter Sunday.
Easter’s Movable Date
Easter can fall anywhere between March 22 and April 25, and the specific timing depends on the full moon and how it aligns with the calendar.
In 2025, the April 13 full moon pushes Easter toward the end of its possible range, making it later than in previous years.
A Look Back at Other Years
For comparison, in 2023, the full moon occurred on April 6, leading to Easter falling on April 9 that year.
However, in 2025, the later full moon on April 13 pushes Easter back to April 20.
Ultimately, Easter’s date varies each year because of the alignment of the lunar cycles and the way the calendar system is structured.
