Easter

[ ee-ster ]

/ ˈi stər /

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noun

an annual Christian festival in commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, observed on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox, as calculated according to tables based in Western churches on the Gregorian calendar and in Orthodox churches on the Julian calendar.

Also called Easter Sunday. the day on which this festival is celebrated.

the Easter season; the week following Easter.

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Origin of Easter

before 900; Middle English ester,Old English ēastre; cognate with German Ostern; originally name of a goddess and her festival; akin to east

OTHER WORDS FROM Easter

post-Easter, adjectivepre-Easter, noun

Words nearby Easter

east coast fever, East Detroit, East Dunbartonshire, East End, East Ender, Easter, Easter cactus, Easter daisy, Easter egg, Easter egg chicken, Easter Island

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT EASTER

What is Easter?

Easter is the holiday on which Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus following his crucifixion and death (observed on Good Friday). It is considered the most important Christian holiday.

Easter is also widely observed in secular (nonreligious) ways and is often associated with rebirth and the start of springtime.

Easter always occurs on a Sunday, and the day is sometimes called Easter Sunday.

In religious contexts, Easter can also refer to the Easter season. Sometimes, this is considered to consist of Easter Sunday and the week after. Some branches of Christianity consider the Easter season to last for 50 days, until the day of Pentecost.

When is Easter?

Easter always falls on a Sunday, but its date moves every year. That’s because Easter is observed on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.

In 2023, Easter will fall on April 9. In 2024, it will fall on March 31.

In the Orthodox Church, the date of Easter is determined using the Julian calendar (as opposed to the Gregorian calendar, which is used in Western Christianity).

In 2023, the Orthodox Church will observe Easter on April 16. In 2024, the Orthodox Church will observe Easter on May 5.

Why is it called Easter?

The first records of the word Easter come from before the year 900. The word comes from the name of the Germanic goddess Eostre, who was honored with a spring festival. The word east is related.

How is Easter celebrated?

Easter is considered the most important Christian holiday due to the central importance of the resurrection in the Christian faith. It follows what is sometimes called Holy Week, which commemorates the events that led up to Jesus’s resurrection, including the Last Supper (on Holy Thursday) and his crucifixion and death (on Good Friday). For Christians, it is a time of celebration following the fasting and somber reflection that takes place in the days before Easter and during the season of Lent. Church attendance is known for being especially high on Easter (with some Christians attending church only on the major feasts of Christmas and Easter).

Many people who celebrate Easter, including Christians, also take part in Easter activities that are nonreligious or that have a basis in Pagan rituals. Popular activities include the decoration of Easter eggs, Easter egg hunts, and giving children Easter baskets filled with candy (which are sometimes said to be delivered by the Easter Bunny—a symbol of springtime and new life).

What are some terms that often get used in discussing Easter?

How is Easter discussed in real life?

For Christians, Easter is the most important holiday and a time of celebration. It is also commonly observed in nonreligious ways as a celebration of springtime.

Attended Good Friday service at FBC Jonesville and Easter Sunday service at Union Grove Baptist!!! Rejoice, the Lord is Risen!!!!

— Yadkin Baptist Assn. (@YadkinBaptist) March 31, 2013

Can’t wait to see all the lil kids dressed up for Easter

— AP (@a_petrey21) March 31, 2018

I figure if I hide a bunch of Easter eggs today there is no way I will remember where I put them at by the time Easter actually gets here.

— Hank Wade 👀 (@Henry68157) March 14, 2021

Try using Easter!

True or False?

Easter always takes place on the same date.

How to use Easter in a sentence

Most see Easter as an escapist fantasy, holding out the mirage-like hope of “heaven” hereafter.
What is the Point of Celebrating Easter During a Pandemic?|N.T. Wright|April 2, 2021|Time
In addition to Christmas, it’s a big part of Easter celebrations, where it’s a common after-meal or tea-time sweet.
How I Tried (and Failed) And Tried Again to Master the Goan Bebinca Cake|Joanna Lobo|April 1, 2021|Eater
I didn’t grow up celebrating a holiday that falls around the spring equinox, not Nowruz, not Passover, not Holi, nor Easter.
A one-pan salmon dinner with minty peas, orange and fennel|Daniela Galarza|April 1, 2021|Washington Post
We’re also in the middle of Passover and approaching Easter, and celebratory gatherings could result in further spread.
Is the U.S. Entering a Fourth Wave of COVID-19?|Tara Law|March 31, 2021|Time

Castel said she’s worried about another surge this spring, when people travel longer distances to be with family and friends for Passover, Easter and spring break amid emerging variants and a mostly unvaccinated public.
Americans have started leaving home even more than before the pandemic, cellphone data shows|Katherine Shaver|March 11, 2021|Washington Post
At the same time, the Easter Elchies House began to deteriorate.
Ester Elchies, The Estate Built By Whiskey||December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The land at Easter Elchies was the ideal place for Reid to set up his business.
Ester Elchies, The Estate Built By Whiskey||December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When I reached Easter Elchies House, it was almost midnight, well, well, well passed the time that I was expected to arrive.
A Whisky Connoisseur Remembers That First Sip of The Macallan||December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And I was lucky enough to receive an invitation to stay at Easter Elchies House, the spiritual home at The Macallan.
A Whisky Connoisseur Remembers That First Sip of The Macallan||December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The company soon embarked on a refurbishment of Easter Elchies, opening to the public in 1985.
Ester Elchies, The Estate Built By Whiskey||December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The doctor had been spending Easter at Cannes, and the dowager had devoutly prayed that he might not yet return.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
The devotional reading of the story is a most natural and helpful observance of the Easter season.
His Last Week|William E. Barton
That morning, it was the first Sunday after Easter, the Duchess rode out of the castle on her great sorrel horse, while on?
Honey-Bee|Anatole France
I often console myself with thoughts of Easter, spring, and the summer holidays.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky
After the reform bill had been read a second time, the lords broke up for the Easter recess.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III.|E. Farr and E. H. Nolan

British Dictionary definitions for Easter

Easter

/ (ˈiːstə) /

noun

the most important festival of the Christian Church, commemorating the Resurrection of Christ: falls on the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox

Also called: Easter Sunday, Easter Day the day on which this festival is celebrated

the period between Good Friday and Easter Monday

Other words from Easter

Related adjective: paschal

Word Origin for Easter

Old English ēastre, after a Germanic goddess Eostre; related to Old High German ōstarūn Easter, Old Norse austr to the east, Old Slavonic ustru like summer

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Easter

Easter

An important religious festival among Christians (see also Christian); it commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus after his Crucifixion. Easter is celebrated on a Sunday in spring, and the season of Easter, a time of rejoicing, continues for several weeks. The penitential season of Lent is a time of preparation for Easter.