When Is Easter 2017? Good Friday, Easter Dates Follow Paschal Full Moon
When is Easter Weekend 2017? It has always been quite tricky and confusing to determine or remember when the Easter holiday will fall because it's a moveable feast, which means it falls on different dates every year. And for 2017, this religious festival is scheduled to take place this April, several weeks later than it did back in 2016.
Easter falls on the Sunday of April 16, with Good Friday set to take place on April 14, followed by Holy Saturday on April 15. The day after Easter Sunday, April 17, is Easter Monday.
Easter is a religious festival observed by Christians and celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Based on the accounts detailed in the New Testament of the Bible, Jesus was crucified and died on the cross on Good Friday, but was resurrected a few days after on a Sunday. Easter also marks the conclusion of Lent — the 40-day period of fasting that commences every Ash Wednesday.
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In the Gospels, the Friday of April 3 in the year 33 A.D. is the established date of Jesus' crucifixion. However, because an eclipse was mentioned to have taken place on the same day, it became necessary to alter the date of the Easter holiday every year.
The death of Jesus occurred around the Jewish Passover, which is traditionally held during the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Because the full moon can vary in each time zone, the Church has established that the Paschal Full Moon — the 14th day of the lunar month — will be observed.
Hence, Easter Day from then on has always been scheduled on the Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon. Once that date of that moon is determined, the Easter Day and the Easter holiday weekend for a particular year can also be set.
