The Reason Easter is Celebrated on Sunday

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Sunday is one of the most important religious observances for Christians.

Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ and concludes Holy Week, which starts on Palm Sunday and concludes on Holy Saturday, the six days preceding Easter Sunday.

The calculations determining Easter have remained consistent: Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon that falls on or after the vernal equinox.

This year, Easter falls on April 20. Because the lunar calendar shifts, the date of Easter also varies. Historically, it has been observed on Sundays between March 22 and April 25.

Why Easter is always on a Sunday

This tradition has been in place for a long time. According to historical records, there was no standardized method for calculating the date of Easter until the 8th century AD.

The most straightforward explanation for Easter’s observance on Sunday is found in the Gospels, which state that Jesus was resurrected on the first day of the week, Sunday.

However, Matthew Easter, an associate professor of biblical studies at Missouri Baptist University, suggests that the agreement to celebrate Easter on a Sunday was more complex than simply adhering to the day of Jesus’s resurrection.

“In the Gospels, Easter is linked to the Jewish Passover, which can occur on any day of the week. Early Christians in Asia Minor, in the region of modern-day Turkey, celebrated Easter on the same day as Passover, regardless of whether it was a Sunday,” Easter explains. “There was considerable discussion among early Christians about whether Easter should be observed on a Sunday.”

The Bible states that Passover occurs on the 14th day of the month of Nissan in the Jewish calendar, which corresponds to March-April in the Gregorian calendar.

During the Roman Empire, celebrating Easter on Sunday became more formalized for Christians. Around 190 AD, Bishop Victor of Rome mandated that Christians observe Easter on a Sunday. He also threatened to excommunicate Christians who celebrated it on Passover, such as those in Asia Minor, according to Easter. Bishop Victor eventually withdrew his threat of excommunication. In 325 AD, the Council of Nicaea, convened by Roman Emperor Constantine, further solidified the Sunday observance of Easter by decreeing that it should be celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox.

Since then, the method established at the Council has gradually become the accepted standard, and Easter has consistently been celebrated on a Sunday in March or April.