Easter 2024: Date, Significance And Why It Is Being Celebrated Earlier This Year - All You Need To Know

Easter is a holy festival for Christians and it marks the victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ following the crucifixion. Unlike Christmas, the date of Easter is not fixed and it varies every year.

Easter is an important Christian festival (Image by Freepik)

Easter is always celebrated on a Sunday - hence the name, Easter Sunday - and in 2024, it's being celebrated in March end. Easter holds tremendous significance for Christians worldwide - the day is a remembrance of the sacrifices of Jesus Christ. It marks his resurrection following the crucifixion and also signals the end of the 40 days of solemn religious observance of Lent.

Easter 2024 Date And Why It's Early This Year

The date of Easter varies every year and this year, it is being celebrated slightly earlier than usual. The last Sunday of March, that is March 31, is when Easter will be celebrated worldwide in 2024. 

So why does the date of Easter vary every year? While Christmas adheres to a fixed date on the solar calendar, the timing of Easter is tied to the lunar cycles because of which its date varies every year. The holiday coincides with the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon, the first full moon after the vernal equinox. The church always recognises the vernal equinox as March 21. Easter is a “movable feast” and this year, it falls earlier than most years because the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon is on March 31. In 2022, Easter was celebrated on April 17 while in 2023, it fell on April 9. In 2021, it was on April 4. 

Easter 2024: Significance Of The Festival

Easter signifies unending mercy and love of Christ towards humanity. He willingly agreed to be crucified for the sins of humankind and his resurrection is a sign of mercy and hope and goodness. It is believed that after Jesus was crucified on a Friday and his body was taken down from the cross and buried in a cave tomb, on Easter Sunday, the resurrection happened. Easter also marks the joyful end to the Lenten season of fasting and penitence.

Easter eggs are also an intrinsic part of Christmas, especially in families with kids. While the cutely decorated Christmas eggs are a great lure for children who have to hunt for the eggs which elders hide around the garden or the house, the eggs have deeply symbolic meaning. Eggs are supposed to symbolise life and birth and on Easter, eggs became a symbol of the Resurrection, just as Jesus Christ rose from his tomb.

(This article is intended for your general information only. Zee News does not vouch for its accuracy or reliability.)