When is Orthodox Easter 2027?

I · The date

Why is Orthodox Easter on a different date?

East and West follow the same ancient rule. After the Council of Nicaea in 325 asked all Christians to keep Pascha together, the Church came to follow the reckoning of Alexandria: Pascha is the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox.

The difference is in how that is counted. The Orthodox Church works it out with the old Julian calendar and its traditional tables of the moon, which place the equinox on March 21 of the Julian calendar, now April 3 on our civil calendar. In 1582 the West switched to the Gregorian calendar and new lunar tables. So the two dates sometimes match, and otherwise Orthodox Pascha comes one, four or five weeks later.

Every Orthodox Church celebrates Pascha on the same Sunday, whether it keeps the New or the Old Calendar for its other feasts. The one exception is the Church of Finland, which keeps the Western date.

II · The Great and Holy Week

Holy Week 2027, day by day

Great Lent begins on Clean Monday, Monday, March 15, 2027, and its forty days end with the raising of Lazarus. Then comes the most solemn week of the year, when the Church follows Christ day by day to the Cross and the empty tomb.

1. Sat24Apr

   Lazarus SaturdayFish roe

   Christ raises His friend Lazarus, four days dead: a promise of the Resurrection. Palm crosses are folded for the next day.

2. Sun25Apr

   Palm SundayFish allowed

   Christ enters Jerusalem to cries of “Hosanna!” Palms, and in Slavic parishes pussy willows, are blessed. In the evening the Bridegroom services begin.

3. Mon26Apr

   Holy MondayStrict fast

   Joseph the All-comely, a figure of Christ, and the withered fig tree. Evening: Bridegroom Matins, “Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight.”

4. Tue27Apr

   Holy TuesdayStrict fast

   The parable of the ten virgins. Evening: the Hymn of Kassiani, sung for the sinful woman who anointed Christ.

5. Wed28Apr

   Holy WednesdayStrict fast

   The anointing at Bethany and Judas’s betrayal. Many parishes serve Holy Unction, anointing the faithful for healing.

6. Thu29Apr

   Holy ThursdayWine & oil

   The Mystical Supper and the washing of the feet. Morning: the Liturgy of St. Basil. Evening: the Twelve Passion Gospels. Greek homes dye their red eggs today.

7. Fri30Apr

   Holy FridayTotal fast

   The Crucifixion and burial of Christ. Afternoon: the Epitaphios, the embroidered image of Christ in the tomb, is laid out. Evening: the Lamentations and a candlelit procession.

8. Sat1May

   Holy SaturdayWine only

   Christ rests in the tomb and descends into Hades. The morning Liturgy turns to white, and in Greek parishes bay leaves are scattered as the priest sings “Arise, O God.”

9. Sun2May

   Holy PaschaFast-free

   The Resurrection of our Lord. The midnight service, then a day of feasting and the joyful Agape Vespers in the afternoon.

III · The night of nights

The midnight service

Late on Holy Saturday night, Orthodox churches fill for the Paschal service. If you've never been, it is the most beautiful night of the Christian year. Here's what to expect.

1. The Midnight Office around 11 PMThe church is dark and quiet. The last hymns of Holy Saturday are sung beside the tomb of Christ.
2. "Come, receive the light" near midnightEvery light goes out. The priest comes from the altar with a single candle, and the flame passes from candle to candle until the whole church glows.
3. The processionEveryone walks around the church with their candles, like the myrrhbearing women going to the tomb.
4. "Christ is risen!" midnightAt the church doors the priest proclaims the Resurrection, and the Paschal hymn rings out for the first time. Bells ring and the doors open.
5. Paschal MatinsJoyful hymns, the greeting shouted again and again, and the famous Catechetical Homily of St. John Chrysostom: "Let no one fear death, for the Saviour's death has set us free."
6. The Divine Liturgy until 2 or 3 AMThe faithful receive Holy Communion after the long fast.
7. Breaking the fastBaskets of Paschal food are blessed, red eggs are cracked, and in many parishes everyone eats together in the middle of the night.

“Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.”The Paschal Troparion

Visiting for the first time? Arrive early, because churches overflow on Pascha. Bring something to shield your candle from the wind, dress as you would for church, and stay as long as you're able. Everyone is welcome; only Holy Communion is reserved for Orthodox Christians.

IV · The greeting

"Christ is risen!" in many languages

From Pascha until the Ascension, forty days later, Orthodox Christians greet each other with these words instead of hello. Tap one to copy it.

V · Around the Orthodox world

Paschal traditions

Planning the Lent before it? See what to eat when you fast and the full fasting calendar.

VI · Look ahead

Orthodox Easter dates to 2040

VII · Questions

Questions