When is Easter, how many Bank Holidays do we get and why does the date change?

Easter takes place earlier this year than it did in 2023.

Three holidays make up Easter, with two of these official Bank Holidays: Good Friday and Easter Monday. Easter itself falls on a Sunday, when banks are already closed.

Kicking off the weekend, Good Friday will see Christians across the world commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at the Calvary. Whereas Easter Sunday, which falls on the last day of March 2024, and Easter Monday, the first day of April 2024, will mark Jesus’ resurrection.

Aldi is giving away free hot cross buns ahead of Easter 2024

Iceland 'bans' mums from stores as they issue weekend warning

Easter is always on the first Sunday after the first full moon that follows the spring equinox, marking the beginning of spring. In the UK, there are two bank holidays to celebrate the festival and holiday. However, unlike other religious festivals, the date varies.

What date is Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday in 2024?

• Good Friday: Friday, March 29

• Easter Sunday: Sunday, March 31

• Easter Monday: Monday, April 1

Why does the date for Easter change?

Easter is a Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus as described in the Bible.

The Gospels - accounts of the life, death and Resurrection of Jesus that are included in the Bible - place the date of the Crucifixion as Friday, April 3, although mention of an eclipse occurring on that day has created further debate. The year of the Crucifixion has been worked out to be 33AD by comparing with references to the high priest Caiaphas, governor Pontius Pilate and emperor Tiberius Caesar, who all lived around the same time as Jesus.

However, the last week in the life of Jesus, a period known as the Passion, includes a series of connected