Easter falls on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. If the first full moon occurs on the equinox, Easter is the following Sunday. Thus, Easter can fall anywhere between March 22 and April 25.
The dates of many Christian holidays depend on the Easter date. Some of these holidays include:
Palm Sunday
Good Friday
Easter Sunday
Ascension Day
Pentecost/Whitsunday
Early Christians wanted to observe Easter around the time of the Jewish festival of Passover as that is when the Last Supper is thought to have taken place. As the Hebrew calendar is based on both solar and lunar cycles, Passover changes each year and that, in turn, makes Easter change, too.
It is possible for Easter Sunday to fall as early as 22 March, although the last time that it happened was in 1881 and it won't take place again until 2285. Its latest possible date is 25 April, which last occurred in 1943 and is due again in 2038.
See the earliest and latest Easter dates at Time and Date.
Tip! Check out 10 Creative Ways to Celebrate Easter, shared by FamilyLife.