The latest possible date for Easter Sunday in the Western (Catholic and most Protestant) churches is 25 April in the Gregorian calendar.

Quick Scoop: How late can Easter be?

  • By the ecclesiastical rules set in the 4th century, Easter can fall any time from 22 March to 25 April in the Western calendar.
  • It is tied to the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the fixed spring equinox date of 21 March (church rule, not the actual astronomical equinox date).
  • Because of how lunar cycles line up with the calendar, 25 April is the extreme “latest Easter” and happens rarely.

One-sentence example

An example of a very late Easter is when the full moon falls on 18 April and the following Sunday is 25 April, which pushes the feast to its latest allowed date.

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