When is Easter 2026, and why does the date change year to year?

The date of Easter Sunday is determined by the phases of the moon.

WASHINGTON — As spring arrives and flowers bloom, that means it’s almost time for Easter.

Easter always falls on a Sunday — hence the name Easter Sunday — but the date isn’t always the same. This year, Easter falls on April 5.

In 2027, Easter Sunday will be even earlier, on March 28, then will fall back to April 16 in 2028.

Why does the date of Easter change?

It all has to do with the moon.

Easter falls on the first Sunday after the full moon on or after March 21, which is when the Christian church marks the spring equinox. If the full moon is on a Sunday, then Easter is the following Sunday.

The full moon this year falls on Wednesday, April 1, and Easter is the following Sunday.

The earliest date Easter can fall on is March 22. The last time that Easter fell on March 22 was 208 years ago, in 1818. The next time will be in the year 2285.

The latest date that Easter can be celebrated is April 25. That last happened in 1943 and will happen again in 2038.

The most frequent dates for Easter over 500 years — between 1600 and 2099 — are March 31 and April 16, with 22 times each, according to Statista, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Here are the dates when Easter will be celebrated for the next 10 years: