Easter is a day of great joy for faithful Christians. Easter celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is detailed in the New Testament. Easter is what's known as a moveable feast, which means it's not celebrated on the same date each year. Easter also is celebrated on a different day within Christian churches. Orthodox Christians do not celebrate Easter on the same day as non-Orthodox Christians. History.com, notes Orthodox Christians follow the Julian calendar when determining when to celebrate Easter. Orthodox Easter will take place between April 4 and May 8, following the first full moon after Passover. Non-orthodox Christians follow the Gregorian calendar, which was established by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. Under the Gregorian calendar, churches determined Easter will be held on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox. These disparities are why Orthodox churches, which are primarily located in Russia, Greece, Cyprus, Romania and Bulgaria, observe Easter on a later date than non-Orthodox churches. In 2026, Orthodox Christians will celebrate Easter on April 12.
