When is Easter 2023 and when do schools break up?
24 March 2023, 11:27 | Updated: 24 March 2023, 12:05
Easter in the UK is just around the corner but what days does it full on in 2023? And when do schools break up for the Easter holidays? Here's the dates you need for your calendar.
April 2023 will bring with it the first big Christian celebration of the year, Easter.
It's traditionally a time to remember and reflect on the day of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ but over recent decades, it has also become about family gatherings, great food and drink, hot cross buns and of course, chocolate eggs.
Not only that, but in the UK, we also typically celebrate Easter with a four-day weekend which covers Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.
And while that extended weekend brings lots of joy for workers, school kids also get a full two weeks off for school holidays.
So when is Easter 2023 this year? What days does it fall on? And when are the schools breaking up for the Easter holidays? Here's the latest information.
When is Easter 2023 in the UK?
This year, the four-day Easter weekend falls in the middle of the school holidays. The dates are:
- Good Friday - 7th April
- Easter Sunday - 9th April
- Easter Monday - 10th April
These bank holiday dates are for everyone living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Scotland doesn't celebrate Easter as a nationwide holiday, although some local councils will claim it as one.
Read more: Cadbury makes massive change to Easter eggs this year
Read more: Easter supermarket opening hours on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday
When are the Easter school holidays in 2023?
This year, for the majority of schools, the Easter holidays will see pupils break up on Friday 31st March and return on Monday 17th April.
To be sure of your schools exact dates, go to gov.uk/school-term-holiday-dates, type in your postcode and they will redirect you to your local council and the school holiday terms in your area.
Why do the Easter dates change every year?
Unlike most big events in the year, Easter is dependent on the lunar calendar cycle as well as the timing of the Jewish festival of Passover.
Why? Because the Last Supper took place on Passover - the night before Jesus was crucified. And the day after he was crucified, the third day, was when he began rising again, giving us Easter Sunday.
As passover is connected to the first full moon after the spring equinox - Easter will always full on the first Sunday after that full moon.