Easter is a moveable feast but also depends on where you are in the world and what Church you follow.
People who follow Western denominations would have celebrated Easter Sunday on 17 April 2022, but those who follow Eastern Christianity, such as the Orthodox churches of Greece and Romania, follow a different calendar.
So when is ‘Greek Easter’ in 2022, and why is it on a different date?
When is Greek Easter 2022?
Greek Easter, also known as Orthodox Easter, will take place on Sunday 24 April 2022.
The key dates for Orthodox Easter in 2022 are:
- Good Friday – April 22
- Holy Saturday – April 23
- Easter Sunday or Easter Day – April 24
- Easter Monday – April 25.
Although very rare, Orthodox Easter can fall on the same date as Western Easter, as it did back in 2017. In other years, Orthodox Easter can take place in early May rather than in March or April.
As Orthodox Easter is also celebrated on a different day, so is Orthodox Christmas, which always falls on 7 January.
Why is Orthodox Easter on a different date?
Those who follow Eastern Christianity and the different Orthodox Churches recognise a different date for Easter as they follow the Julian calendar.
The Julian Calendar was fashioned by Julius Caesar in 45 BC by basing a year on the time it takes the Sun to go around the Earth.
The Orthodox Church follows the Julian Calendar as it’s a traditional calendar, being used into the 20th century and is still used in Churches faithful to the ecclesiastical dates in the Julian calendar.
However, in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII revised the calendar and created the Gregorian calendar as astronomy became more accurate. This calendar was later adopted by Britain in 1752.
The Orthodox Church also believes that Easter must occur after Passover, as in the Easter story Jesus celebrates Passover before his death.
