Easter Date Calculator (Any Year)

Find the date of Easter Sunday for any year, using the Gregorian (Western) or Julian (Orthodox) computus.

Inputs

Four-digit year.

Western and Orthodox churches use different computus rules.

Result

Loading calculator…
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How to use this calculator

  • Enter the year you want.
  • Choose the Gregorian (Western) or Julian (Orthodox) calendar.
  • Read the Easter Sunday date and day of week.
  • See related dates: Good Friday and Ash Wednesday.

About this calculator

Easter is a moveable feast: its date changes every year because it is defined relative to the moon, not a fixed calendar day. The rule, set by the Council of Nicaea, is that Easter falls on the first Sunday after the ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or after March 21 (the nominal spring equinox). Computing it requires the "computus," a centuries-old algorithm. This calculator implements both the Gregorian computus, which gives the Western Easter observed by Catholic and Protestant churches, and the Julian computus, which gives the Orthodox Easter (shown converted to the Gregorian calendar for easy comparison). Because the two traditions use different equinox and full-moon reckonings, their Easters can fall on the same day or differ by as much as five weeks. The tool also derives related dates — Good Friday and the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday.

How it works — the formula

Easter = first Sunday after the ecclesiastical full moon on/after March 21 Gregorian: Anonymous computus algorithm Julian: Meeus algorithm (then +offset to Gregorian)

The computus locates the paschal full moon and the following Sunday; the Julian result is shifted to the Gregorian calendar for display.

Source: Wikipedia — Date of Easter (computus)

Worked examples

Example 1
2026, Gregorian
Inputs:
year=2026, calendar=gregorian
Output:
April 5, 2026 (Sunday)
Example 2
2025, Gregorian
Inputs:
year=2025, calendar=gregorian
Output:
April 20, 2025
Example 3
2024, Gregorian
Inputs:
year=2024, calendar=gregorian
Output:
March 31, 2024

Limitations

  • Julian (Orthodox) date is converted to Gregorian using the century offset.
  • Valid from 326 CE onward.
  • Ecclesiastical full moon is an approximation, not the astronomical moon.

Algorithmic computus; matches published Western and Orthodox Easter tables.

Frequently asked

How is the date of Easter determined?+
Easter is the first Sunday after the ecclesiastical full moon falling on or after March 21. This ties it to the lunar cycle, so it moves between March 22 and April 25 (Gregorian) from year to year.
Why do Western and Orthodox Easter differ?+
They use different calendars and full-moon tables. Western churches use the Gregorian computus; Orthodox churches use the older Julian computus and a March 21 fixed on the Julian calendar, which now lags the Gregorian by 13 days. The two Easters can coincide or differ by up to five weeks.
What is the earliest and latest Easter can be?+
In the Gregorian calendar, Easter can fall as early as March 22 and as late as April 25. The extremes are rare; most years it lands in late March or April.
What is the computus?+
The computus is the algorithm churches use to calculate Easter from the year. This calculator uses the well-known "Anonymous Gregorian" algorithm for the Western date and Meeus's Julian algorithm for the Orthodox date.
How are Good Friday and Ash Wednesday related to Easter?+
Good Friday is the Friday before Easter (two days earlier). Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, falls 46 days before Easter Sunday. This tool computes both from the Easter date.
Does this work for any year?+
Yes, for years from 326 CE (after the Council of Nicaea) onward. The Gregorian algorithm is valid for Gregorian-calendar years; the Julian option reflects the Orthodox reckoning converted to the Gregorian calendar.

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