About Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday is the Christian feast of the resurrection of Jesus, which Christians believe took place on the third day after his crucifixion on Good Friday. It is the most important day in the church year and ends the forty or fifty days of Lent. In 2027, Easter Sunday falls on Sunday, 28 March 2027; the date moves each year because it is set by the moon.
For Christians in India, Easter Sunday is the end of a long road. It follows weeks of Lenten fasting, often without meat, fish or alcohol, and a Holy Week that runs from palm processions to the quiet of Good Friday. The first Easter service is often held in the dark, before dawn, and the family meal that follows is usually the first proper feast in weeks.
Why does the date of Easter Sunday change every year?
Easter Sunday changes date because it is tied to the moon, following a rule agreed at the Council of Nicaea in 325. Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon falling on or after 21 March, which the church fixes as the spring equinox. The "full moon" here is the ecclesiastical one worked out from tables, not the astronomical one. As a result, Easter can fall on any Sunday from 22 March to 25 April.
Eastern Orthodox churches use the same rule but calculate it on the older Julian calendar, which runs 13 days behind. Their Easter, often called Pascha, can fall up to five weeks after the Western date, and in some years, such as 2025, the two coincide. Most churches in India, Catholic and Protestant, keep the Western date. If a friend belongs to a Russian, Greek or other Eastern Orthodox parish, check the date with them before you send a wish.
What happens in Holy Week before Easter Sunday?
Holy Week is the week before Easter Sunday, and in India each day has its own rituals and, in Kerala, its own names. The week retells the last days of Jesus as the Gospels describe them.
- Palm SundayKuruthola Perunnal in Kerala
Churches bless palm leaves, some folded into crosses, and hold processions. In parts of north India these are called shobha yatras.
- Maundy ThursdayPesaha in Kerala
Services recall the Last Supper, and Catholic, CSI and CNI churches hold a foot-washing service. Saint Thomas Christian families break the unleavened INRI appam at home.
- Good FridayDukha Velli in Malayalam, Periya Velli in Tamil
A day of fasting and mourning. Pilgrims climb Malayattoor hill in Ernakulam barefoot, some carrying wooden crosses, and Orthodox churches serve nercha kanji, rice gruel, after the service.
- Holy SaturdayThe vigil
Many churches hold a night vigil that begins in darkness and ends with the first announcement of the resurrection.
- Easter SundayThe resurrection
Services run from before dawn through the morning, followed by a family feast that breaks the Lenten fast.
He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.
How long is Lent before Easter in India?
Lent lasts about forty days in the Latin Catholic and most Protestant churches, but Saint Thomas Christians in Kerala keep a longer fast. Latin-rite Catholics begin Lent on Ash Wednesday. The Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara churches begin two days earlier, on Ash Monday, and the season is called the fifty-day fast, or 50 Nombu, because every day including Sundays is counted as a day of abstinence.
Many Christian families in India go vegetarian and give up alcohol for all of Lent. That is why the Easter table in many homes is heavy with meat, and why Easter lunch feels like a release as much as a feast.
What do Indian Christians eat on Easter Sunday?
What Indian Christians eat on Easter Sunday depends on the region, and the meal is usually the one the family waited all of Lent to cook.
| Region | Typical Easter dishes |
|---|---|
| Kerala | Appam with mutton or chicken stew, beef fry with coconut |
| Goa | Sorpotel and vindaloo |
| North India | Biryani and korma |
| Northeast | Chicken or pork with rice, shared after church |
In Goa, the Easter season follows a pre-Lent carnival with a strong Portuguese influence, so the calendar there runs from street celebration to fasting and back to feasting.
What should you write for Easter Sunday?
A good Easter Sunday message is hopeful and specific. For practising Christians, mentioning the service, the Lenten fast they have completed or the risen Christ shows you understand the day. For others, a warm wish about the family and the meal is enough. The traditional Easter greeting is "Christ is risen", answered with "He is risen indeed".
Happy Easter! Forty days without meat and you made it. Enjoy every bite of that stew today.
Christ is risen! Happy Easter to all of you. Thank you for keeping the fast together and for saving me a seat at Mass.
Wishing you and your family a very happy Easter. I hope the day is full of good food and time together.
Happy Easter, Ammachi. The appam is never as good as yours. May the risen Lord keep you strong and well this year.
Thinking of you this Easter. May its message of new life bring you some peace, and may you feel surrounded by love today.
Warm Easter greetings to you and your family. May the season bring you peace and renewed hope.
Do
- Wish on Easter Sunday itself; the days before are solemn.
- Mention hope, new life or the family meal if you are not Christian and unsure what to say.
- Bring sweets, cake or flowers if you are invited to an Easter lunch.
Avoid
- Don't say "Happy Good Friday"; Good Friday marks the crucifixion and is a day of mourning.
- Don't assume your friend's church keeps the same date if they are Eastern Orthodox.
- Don't schedule a work event on Easter morning; many people are at church.
The solemn Friday before Easter is Good Friday. The other great Christian feast of the year is Christmas.
How to wish someone on Easter Sunday
Easter wishes are about new life, hope and joy after a season of fasting and the sorrow of Good Friday. "Happy Easter" is right from anyone. For practising Christians, a line about the risen Christ or the Easter service is welcome; for friends and colleagues of other faiths, a warm, simple wish about the family meal and the day is enough. Keep Easter wishes to Easter Sunday, not Good Friday.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi + recipient language.
When is Easter Sunday in 2026 and 2027?
Easter Sunday falls on a different date each year. In 2027 it falls 8 days earlier than in 2026.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
When is Easter Sunday in 2027?
Easter Sunday 2027 falls on Sunday, 28 March 2027.
How is the date of Easter calculated?
Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after 21 March, a rule set by the Council of Nicaea in 325. That makes the earliest possible Easter 22 March and the latest 25 April.
Why do Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter on a different date?
Orthodox churches apply the same Nicaea rule but calculate it on the Julian calendar, which runs 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar. Their Easter, or Pascha, can come up to five weeks after the Western date, though in some years the two coincide.
Is Easter Sunday a public holiday in India?
Easter always falls on a Sunday, so it is already a day off for most offices and schools. The gazetted holiday for central government offices is Good Friday, two days earlier.
What is the traditional Easter greeting?
The traditional Easter greeting is "Christ is risen", and the reply is "He is risen indeed". Among friends and colleagues, "Happy Easter" is perfectly correct.
Why do Kerala Christians fast for fifty days before Easter?
The Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara churches begin Lent on Ash Monday and count every day, including Sundays, as a day of abstinence, which is why the season is known as the fifty-day fast, or 50 Nombu. Latin-rite Catholics begin on Ash Wednesday.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .