Christian Feast Days Dependent on Easter Sunday

The date of Easter Sunday is crucial for the sequence of the Christian liturgical year as many Christian feast days are celebrated at a fixed interval of days (or weeks) before or after Easter Sunday.

The following table lists the most important days in the Christian liturgical year and their relation with the date of Easter Sunday. Nominally, the dates are given for the current (Gregorian) calendar year, but the dates can be adjusted for any other year in the Gregorian calendar.

Year   Golden Number   Epact
  step down the year step up the year      
Year type   Dominical Letter  
   
Easter Full Moon
(luna XIV)
  Easter Sunday   Lunar age on
Easter Sunday
     days
Movable Christian feast days during the Epiphany Season
Feast day Antiphona ad Introitum
[Vulgate numbering]
Offset from
Easter Sunday
Date
Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (Sunday after/on 1 January) In nomine Jesu (Philippians 2:10)  weeks
Feast of the Holy Family (1st Sunday after Epiphany) Exsultat gaudio (Proverbs 23:24-25)  weeks
2nd Sunday after Epiphany Omnis terra (Psalms 65:4)  weeks
3rd Sunday after Epiphany Adorate Deum (Psalms 96:7-8)  weeks
4th Sunday after Epiphany Adorate Deum (Psalms 96:7-8)  weeks
5th Sunday after Epiphany Adorate Deum (Psalms 96:7-8)  weeks
6th Sunday after Epiphany Adorate Deum (Psalms 96:7-8)  weeks
Movable Christian feast days depending on the date of Easter Sunday
Feast day Antiphona ad Introitum
[Vulgate numbering]
Offset from
Easter Sunday
Date
Septuagesima Sunday Circumdederunt me (Psalms 17:5-7) –9 weeks
Sexagesima Sunday Exsurge (Psalms 43:23-26) –8 weeks
Quinquagesima Sunday (Shrove Sunday) Esto mihi in Deum (Psalms 30:3-4) –7 weeks
Ash Wednesday (1st day in Lent) Misereris omnium (Wisdom 11:24-25 & 27) –46 days
Quadragesima Sunday (1st Sunday in Lent) Invocavit me (Psalms 90:15-16) –6 weeks
2nd Sunday in Lent Reminiscere miserationum (Psalms 24:6, 3 & 22) –5 weeks
Oculi Sunday (3rd Sunday in Lent) Oculi mei (Psalms 24:15-16) –4 weeks
Mid-Lent Sunday (4th Sunday in Lent) Laetamini (Isaiah 66:10-11) –3 weeks
Passion Sunday (1st Sunday in Passiontide) Iudica me Deus (Psalms 42:1-2) –2 weeks
Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday [RC] (2nd Sunday in Passiontide) Domine ne longe (Psalms 21:20 & 22) –1 week
Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday) Nos autem gloriari (Galatians 6:14) –3 days
Good Friday   –2 days
Holy Saturday   –1 day
Easter Sunday Resurrexi (Psalms 138:18, 5 & 6) 0
Low Sunday (Octave Sunday of Easter) Quasi modo geniti infantes (I Peter 2:2) +1 week
2nd Sunday after Easter Misericordia Domini (Psalms 32:5-6) +2 weeks
3rd Sunday after Easter Jubilate Deo (Psalms 65:1-2) +3 weeks
4th Sunday after Easter Cantate Domino (Psalms 97:1-2) +4 weeks
Rogation Sunday Vocem jucunditatis (Isaiah 48:20) +5 weeks
Ascension Day (Thursday) Viri Galilaei (Psalms 138:18 & 5-6) +39 days
Octave Sunday of Ascension  Exaudi Domine (Psalms 26:7-9) +6 weeks
Pentecost (Whitsunday) Spiritus Domini (Wisdom 1:7) +7 weeks
Trinity Sunday (1st Sunday after Pentecost) Benedicta sit (Tobit 12:6) +8 weeks
Corpus Christi (Thursday after Trinity Sunday) Cibavit eos (Psalms 80:17) +60 days
2nd Sunday after Pentecost (Corpus Christi [USA]) Factus est Dominus (Psalms 17:19-20) +9 weeks
3rd Sunday after Pentecost Respice in me (Psalms 24:16 & 18) +10 weeks
4th Sunday after Pentecost Dominus illuminatio mea (Psalms 26:1-2) +11 weeks
5th Sunday after Pentecost Exaudi Domine (Psalms 26:7 & 9) +12 weeks
6th Sunday after Pentecost Dominus fortitudo (Psalms 27:8-9) +13 weeks
7th Sunday after Pentecost Omnes gentes (Psalms 46:2) +14 weeks
8th Sunday after Pentecost Suscepimus Deus (Psalms 47:10-11) +15 weeks
9th Sunday after Pentecost Ecce Deus adjuvat (Psalms 53:6-7) +16 weeks
10th Sunday after Pentecost Cum clamarem (Psalms 54:17-18, 20 & 23) +17 weeks
11th Sunday after Pentecost Deus in loco sancto (Psalms 67:6-7 & 36) +18 weeks
12th Sunday after Pentecost Deus in adjutorium (Psalms 69:2-3) +19 weeks
13th Sunday after Pentecost Respice Domine (Psalms 73:20, 19 & 23) +20 weeks
14th Sunday after Pentecost Protector noster (Psalms 83:10-11) +21 weeks
15th Sunday after Pentecost Inclina Domine (Psalms 85:1-3) +22 weeks
16th Sunday after Pentecost Miserere mihi Domine (Psalms 85:3 & 5) +23 weeks
17th Sunday after Pentecost Justus es Domine (Psalms 118:137 & 124) +24 weeks
18th Sunday after Pentecost Da pacem Domine (Ecclesiastes 36:18) +25 weeks
19th Sunday after Pentecost Salus populi (non-scriptural + Psalms 77:1) +26 weeks
20th Sunday after Pentecost Omnia quae fecisti (Daniel 3:31, 29 & 35) +27 weeks
21st Sunday after Pentecost In voluntate tua (Esther 13:9-11) +28 weeks
22nd Sunday after Pentecost Si iniquitates observaveris (Psalms 129:3-4) +29 weeks
23rd Sunday after Pentecost Dicit Dominus (Jeremiah 29:11-12 & 14) +30 weeks
24th Sunday after Pentecost Dicit Dominus (Jeremiah 29:11-12 & 14) +31 weeks
25th Sunday after Pentecost Dicit Dominus (Jeremiah 29:11-12 & 14) +32 weeks
26th Sunday after Pentecost Dicit Dominus (Jeremiah 29:11-12 & 14) +33 weeks
27th Sunday after Pentecost Dicit Dominus (Jeremiah 29:11-12 & 14) +34 weeks
28th Sunday after Pentecost Dicit Dominus (Jeremiah 29:11-12 & 14) +35 weeks
Movable Christian feast days in the Advent Season
Feast day Antiphona ad Introitum
[Vulgate numbering]
Defined as Sundays after
Easter
Date
1st Sunday of Advent Ad te levavi (Psalms 24:1-3) Nearest Sunday to 30 November
2nd Sunday of Advent Populus Sion (Isaiah 30:30) Sunday after 1st Sunday of Advent
3rd Sunday of Advent Gaudete (Philippians 4:4-6) 2nd Sunday after 1st Sunday of Advent
Ember Wednesday in Advent Rorate coeli (Isaiah 45:8) Wednesday before last Sunday of Advent
Ember Friday in Advent Prope esto (Psalms 118:151-152) Friday before last Sunday of Advent
Ember Saturday in Advent Veni et ostende (Psalms 79:4 & 2) Saturday before last Sunday of Advent
4th Sunday of Advent Memento nostri (Psalms 105:4) Last Sunday of Advent
Sunday in Christmas Octave Dum medium silentium (Wisdom 18:14-15) First Sunday after Advent

Easter – First Advent Sunday Intervals

First Advent Sunday is defined as the fourth Sunday before Christmas and formally starts the annual cycle of Christian feast days celebrating the birth and passion of Jesus Christ. During a complete 5 700 000-year Gregorian Easter Cycle the number of weeks between Easter Sunday and First Advent Sunday are distributed as follows:

Weeks Frequency % Easter Sunday
31   124650   2.187 24 – 25 April
32 1206775 21.171 17 – 23 April
33 1330000 23.333 10 – 16 April
34 1330000 23.333 3 – 9 April
35 1302450 22.850 27 March – 2 April
36   406125   7.125 22 – 26 March

The shortest interval of 31 weeks only occurs when Easter Sunday falls on 24 or 25 April. Since the introduction of the Gregorian calendar this has occurred in 1639, 1666, 1707, 1734, 1791, 1859, 1886, 1943 and 2011. The next occurrences (up to 2500) will be in 2038, 2095, 2163, 2190, 2231, 2258, 2326, 2383, 2410, 2467 and 2478.

The longest interval of 36 weeks occurs when Easter Sunday falls on 22, 23, 24, 25 or 26 March. During the past two centuries this has occurred in 1815, 1818, 1826, 1837, 1845, 1856, 1883, 1894, 1913, 1940, 1951, 1967, 1978, 1989 and 2008. The next occurrences (up to 2100) will be in 2035, 2046, 2062, 2073 and 2084.

Leap Day Coincidences

Occasionally, one of the Christian feast days in or just before the Lenten season can fall on the leap day in February. From a liturgical point of view, this does not heighten or modify the character of the event but from a calendrical point of view it may be useful to single these out.

The following table lists these coincidences in the Dionysian/Julian reckoning (years from 532 to 1582) and in the Gregorian reckoning (years from 1583 to 5000) assuming that the leap day is reckoned as the last day in February (29 February).

Coincidences with 29 February (a.d. pridie kal. Martias)
Feast Day Dionysian Gregorian Dominical
Letter
Easter
Sunday
Sexagesima Sunday 672, 1204 3784, 4088, 4156, 4224, 4376, 4528, 4680, 4748 DC 25 April
Shrove Sunday 588, 868, 952, 1036, 1120, 1400, 1484, 1568 1604, 1688, 1756, 1824, 1976, 2060, 2128, 2280, 2348, 2432, 2584, 2652, 2720, 2804, 2888, 2956, 3024, 3176, 3260, 3328, 3480, 3548, 3632, 3852, 3920, 4004, 4860 DC 18 April
Ash Wednesday 624, 708, 792, 876, 1156, 1240, 1324, 1408 2096, 2468, 2688, 2840, 2992, 3212, 3296, 3364, 3432, 3584, 3668, 3736, 3804, 3888, 3956, 4040, 4108, 4192, 4260, 4328, 4412, 4496, 4564, 4632, 4784, 4868, 4936 AG 15 April
Quadragesima Sunday 532, 616, 700, 784, 980, 1064, 1148, 1232, 1316, 1512 1632, 1784, 1852, 2004, 2088, 2156, 2224, 2376, 2460, 2528, 2680, 2748, 2832, 2984, 3052, 3120, 3204, 3288, 3356, 3424, 3576, 3660, 3728, 3880, 3948, 4032, 4184, 4252, 4320, 4404, 4488, 4556, 4624, 4776, 4928 DC 11 April
2nd Sunday in Lent 644, 728, 812, 896, 1176, 1260, 1344, 1428 1920, 2488, 2860, 3232, 3384, 3452, 3604, 3688, 3756, 3824, 3976, 4060, 4128, 4280, 4348, 4432, 4584, 4652, 4720, 4804, 4888, 4956 DC   4 April
Oculi Sunday 560, 756, 840, 924, 1008, 1092, 1288, 1372, 1456, 1540 1660, 1728, 1880, 1948, 2032, 2184, 2252, 2320, 2404, 2556, 2624, 2776, 2928, 3080, 3148, 3520, 4460, 4832, 4984 DC 28 March

The following table lists these coincidences in the Dionysian/Julian reckoning (years from 532 to 1582) and in the Gregorian reckoning (years from 1583 to 5000) assuming that the leap day is reckoned as in the traditional Roman calendar (24 February).

Coincidences with 24 February (a.d. bis VI kal. Martias)
Feast Day Dionysian Gregorian Dominical
Letter
Easter
Sunday
Sexagesima Sunday 648, 732, 816, 900, 1180, 1264, 1348, 1432 1924, 2864, 3236, 3388, 3456, 3608, 3692, 3760, 3828, 3980, 4064, 4132, 4284, 4352, 4436, 4504, 4588, 4656, 4724, 4808, 4892, 4960 FE 20 April
Shrove Sunday 564, 844, 928, 1012, 1096, 1376, 1460, 1544 1664, 1732, 1884, 1952, 2036, 2104, 2188, 2256, 2324, 2408, 2492, 2560, 2628, 2780, 2932, 3084, 3152, 3304, 3524, 4464, 4836, 4988 FE 13 April
Ash Wednesday 600, 684, 768, 852, 1132, 1216, 1300, 1384 2072, 2292, 2444, 2596, 2664, 2816, 2968, 3036, 3188, 3272, 3340, 3408, 3492, 3560, 3644, 3712, 3796, 3864, 3932, 4016, 4168, 4236, 4304, 4388, 4472, 4540, 4608, 4692, 4760, 4844, 4912, 4996 CB 10 April
Quadragesima Sunday 592, 676, 760, 956, 1040, 1124, 1208, 1292, 1488, 1572 1608, 1692, 1760, 1828, 1980, 2064, 2132, 2284, 2352, 2436, 2504, 2588, 2656, 2724, 2808, 2892, 2960, 3028, 3180, 3264, 3332, 3484, 3552, 3636, 3704, 3788, 3856, 3924, 4008, 4092, 4160, 4228, 4380, 4532, 4684, 4752, 4904 FE   6 April
2nd Sunday in Lent 620, 704, 788, 872, 1152, 1236, 1320, 1404 2092, 2464, 2684, 2836, 2904, 2988, 3056, 3208, 3292, 3360, 3428, 3580, 3664, 3732, 3884, 3952, 4036, 4104, 4188, 4256, 4324, 4408, 4492, 4560, 4628, 4780, 4864, 4932 FE 30 March
Oculi Sunday 536, 984, 1068, 1516 1636, 1704, 1788, 1856, 2008, 2160, 2228, 2380, 2532, 2752, 3124 FE 23 March

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