Easter 2026 in Ukraine: when Orthodox Christians and Catholics celebrate
Easter is considered one of the most important holidays in the Christian calendar. Preparations for it continue throughout Lent, which traditionally lasts 40 days.
Different dates: Christians of the Eastern and Western rites will celebrate Easter on different Sundays in April.
The reason for the discrepancy is that Orthodox and Catholics use different methods of calculating the date of the holiday (Paschalion).
The OCU calendar: the transition to the new style did not change the rules for calculating the date of Christ's Resurrection.
Duration of the holiday: according to church tradition, the Easter period lasts more than a month.
The date of Christ's Resurrection is determined by a special rule. Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox, which is conventionally set on 21 March.
Despite this rule, Orthodox Christians and Catholics use different methods to calculate the date of the holiday, known as paschalions. This is why the date of Easter often differs between different church traditions.
In the Western tradition, the Roman Catholic Church and most Protestant communities determine the date of Easter according to the Gregorian calendar. In 2026, they will celebrate it on Sunday, 5 April.
In 2023, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine switched to the New Julian calendar, which is considered more accurate than the Julian calendar and closer to astronomical events. At the same time, the rules for determining the date of Easter have remained unchanged, so the holiday is celebrated according to the same paschalion as before.
Because of this, in 2026, Orthodox believers will celebrate Easter on Sunday, 12 April, a week after Catholics.
Although the main services and festive celebrations fall on Easter Sunday, according to church tradition, the celebration lasts much longer. The Easter period in Orthodoxy covers 40 days.
This period is associated with the Gospel tradition, according to which Jesus Christ stayed with his disciples for forty days after the Resurrection.
The Easter cycle ends on Wednesday of the sixth week after Easter – on the day of the Feast of the Ascension, which symbolises the end of the festive period before Ascension Day.
