Why does Easter move every year?

Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox (21 March). This means it can fall anywhere between 22 March and 25 April. Catholic and Orthodox Easter often differ because they use different calendars (Gregorian vs. Julian).

Which holidays depend on Easter?

Easter Monday (next day), Pentecost / Zielone Świątki (50 days after Easter), Corpus Christi (60 days after Easter), and Ash Wednesday (46 days before Easter).

Are movable feasts work-free days?

Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Pentecost (Zielone Świątki), and Corpus Christi are all work-free public holidays in Poland. Ash Wednesday is not.

Movable Feasts in Poland: How Dates Are Calculated

Easter, Pentecost, Corpus Christi, and other moveable holidays — why they shift each year and how the date is computed.

What is a movable feast?

A movable feast (święto ruchome) is a holiday whose calendar date changes each year because it is calculated relative to Easter, which itself shifts based on the lunar calendar.

Easter date calculation (Computus)

Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the paschal full moon — the first ecclesiastical full moon on or after 21 March. The Catholic Church uses the Gregorian calendar for this calculation.

Recent and upcoming Easter dates

| Year | Easter Sunday | |------|--------------| | 2025 | 20 April | | 2026 | 5 April | | 2027 | 28 March | | 2028 | 16 April |

Holidays derived from Easter

| Holiday | Offset from Easter | Work-free? | |---------|---------------------|------------| | Ash Wednesday | −46 days | No | | Palm Sunday | −7 days | No | | Good Friday | −2 days | No | | Easter Sunday | 0 | Yes | | Easter Monday (Śmigus-Dyngus) | +1 day | Yes | | Ascension Day | +39 days | No (transferred to Sunday) | | Pentecost (Zielone Świątki) | +49 days (7th Sunday) | Yes | | Corpus Christi (Boże Ciało) | +60 days (Thursday) | Yes |

Catholic vs. Orthodox Easter

Poland observes Catholic (Gregorian) Easter. The Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar, so Orthodox Easter usually falls 1–5 weeks later. This means Ukrainian, Russian, and Greek Orthodox immigrants in Poland may celebrate Easter on a different date than the Polish public holiday.

In years where Catholic and Orthodox Easter coincide (e.g., 2025), both communities celebrate on the same weekend.

Practical implications

School holidays: The spring break (ferie wiosenne) is tied to Easter, usually the week before or after.
Shop closures: Easter Sunday and Monday are work-free — large shops closed.
Transport: Easter weekend sees heavy travel; book trains early.
Work: Good Friday is not a statutory work-free day, but many employers grant leave.

2026 movable feast dates

| Holiday | 2026 Date | |---------|-----------| | Ash Wednesday | 18 February | | Palm Sunday | 29 March | | Good Friday | 3 April | | Easter Sunday | 5 April | | Easter Monday | 6 April | | Pentecost (Zielone Świątki) | 24 May | | Corpus Christi | 4 June |