Easter 2025, 2026 and 2027
Easter is one of the most widely celebrated holiday seasons across Canada, with a national Good Friday public holiday each year that provides a long spring weekend for family gatherings and travel.
The Good Friday public holiday falls on 18 April in 2025. The main Christian observance of the season is Easter Sunday which falls two days later on 20 April. In 2026 Easter will be celebrated earlier in the month with Good Friday being observed on 3 April and Easter Sunday on 5 April.
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday | Provinces and Territories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 18 Apr | Fri | Good Friday | Federal workers; National |
| 21 Apr | Mon | Easter Monday | Federal workers; AB^, NT, NU, QC^ | |
| 2026 | 3 Apr | Fri | Good Friday | Federal workers; National |
| 6 Apr | Mon | Easter Monday | Federal workers; AB^, NT, NU, QC^ | |
| 2027 | 26 Mar | Fri | Good Friday | Federal workers; National |
| 29 Mar | Mon | Easter Monday | Federal workers; AB^, NT, NU, QC^ | |
| ^ The holiday in this province is optional. | ||||
| Please scroll down to end of page for previous years' dates. | ||||
The date of Easter changes each year because of a 1700 year-old calculation method that references the phases of the moon. The date of Easter is always the Sunday following the first full moon after 21 March (the eccesiastical vernal equinox). Therefore the date of Easter Sunday can be anytime between 22 March and 25 April, and this is why Easter occurs later in 2025 than other years.
A majority of Canadians still consider themselves Christian and celebrate Easter every year as a religious event. Millions more celebrate Easter in non-religous ways with Easter eggs, egg hunts and community activities for children being the main focus. For many, the Good Friday is simply an extra day off for rest, fun or travel.
For many Christians, the season of fasting and prayer called “Lent” leads up to Easter Sunday. This 40-day period is meant to correspond to the time Christ fasted in the wilderness before beginning his public ministry. On the Sunday before Easter, Palm Sunday begins Holy Week. Good Friday is the day when Christ’s crucifixion is remembered. Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Christ. It is considered the holiest day in the Christian calendar and special church services and celebrations abound.
Family gatherings are particularly common at this time of year. Families generally eat the third-largest meal of the year on Easter weekend, only Christmas and Thanksgiving being times of greater feasting. Some of the most traditional foods to eat during these feasts include lamb, ham, and hot cross buns. The hot cross buns are of English origin. They are round, spiced, currant rolls traditionally having a cross shape cut into them. Today, the cross is often formed with frosting.
Small gifts are often exchanged at Easter time, the most common gift being chocolate eggs and chocolate rabbits. Painting hard boiled eggs with store-bought dyes or with beet juice is also common, and when the eggs are hidden, children go looking for them in Easter egg hunts.
Previous Years
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday | Provinces and Territories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 29 Mar | Fri | Good Friday | Federal workers; National |
| 1 Apr | Mon | Easter Monday | Federal workers; AB^, NT, NU, QC^ | |
| 2023 | 7 Apr | Fri | Good Friday | Federal workers; National |
| 10 Apr | Mon | Easter Monday | Federal workers; AB^, NT, NU, QC^ | |
| ^ The holiday in this province is optional. | ||||