Easter

== Position in the church year ==
{{Further|Liturgical year}}

=== Western Christianity ===
{{Lent_calendar.svg|400px}}
In most branches of Western Christianity, Easter is preceded by [[Lent]], a period of penitence that begins on [[Ash Wednesday]], lasts 40 days (not counting Sundays), and is often marked with fasting. The week before Easter, known as [[Holy Week]], is an important time for observers to commemorate the final week of Jesus' life on earth.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Meaning of Holy Week|last=MacKinnon|first=Grace|date=March 2003|publisher=Catholic Education Resource Center|url=https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/the-meaning-of-holy-week.html|access-date=16 April 2022|archive-date=12 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512214440/https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/the-meaning-of-holy-week.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Sunday before Easter is [[Palm Sunday]], with the Wednesday before Easter being known as [[Spy Wednesday]] (or Holy Wednesday). The last [[The Three Days|three days]] before Easter are [[Maundy Thursday]], [[Good Friday]] and [[Holy Saturday]] (sometimes referred to as Silent Saturday).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sfetcu |first=Nicolae |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t4B-AwAAQBAJ&dq=The+last+three+days+before+Easter+are+Maundy+Thursday%2C+Good+Friday+and+Holy+Saturday+%28sometimes+referred+to+as+Silent+Saturday%29&pg=PA10 |title=Easter Traditions |date=2 May 2014 |publisher=Nicolae Sfetcu |access-date=25 January 2023 |archive-date=5 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405023926/https://books.google.com/books?id=t4B-AwAAQBAJ&dq=The+last+three+days+before+Easter+are+Maundy+Thursday,+Good+Friday+and+Holy+Saturday+(sometimes+referred+to+as+Silent+Saturday)&pg=PA10 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday respectively commemorate Jesus's entry in Jerusalem, the [[Last Supper]] and the [[crucifixion]]. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday are sometimes referred to as the [[Easter Triduum]] ([[Latin]] for "Three Days"). Many churches begin celebrating Easter late in the evening of Holy Saturday at a service called the [[Easter Vigil]].<ref name="Encyclopedia Britannica 1998 (Holy Saturday)">{{cite web | title=Holy Saturday | website=Encyclopedia Britannica | date=1998-07-20 | url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Holy-Saturday | access-date=2023-04-23}}</ref>

The week beginning with Easter Sunday is called Easter Week or the [[Octave of Easter]], and each day is prefaced with "Easter", e.g. [[Easter Monday]] (a public holiday in many countries), [[Easter Tuesday]] (a much less widespread public holiday), etc. [[Easter Saturday]] is therefore the Saturday ''after'' Easter Sunday. The day before Easter is properly called Holy Saturday. [[Eastertide]], or Paschaltide, the season of Easter, begins on Easter Sunday and lasts until the day of [[Pentecost]], seven weeks later.<ref name="Fairchild 2012">{{cite web | last=Fairchild | first=Mary | title=Holy Week Timeline: From Palm Sunday to Resurrection Day | website=Learn Religions | date=2012-03-15 | url=https://www.learnreligions.com/holy-week-timeline-700618 | access-date=2023-04-23}}</ref><ref name="Bucher 2021">{{cite web | last=Bucher | first=Meg | title=What Is Holy Week? - 8 Days of Easter You Need to Know | website=Crosswalk.com | date=2021-02-08 | url=https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/easter/what-is-holy-week.html | access-date=2023-04-23}}</ref><ref name="Huck Ramshaw Lathrop 1988 p. ">{{cite book | last1=Huck | first1=Gabe | last2=Ramshaw | first2=Gail | last3=Lathrop | first3=Gordon W. | title=An Easter sourcebook : the fifty days | publisher=Liturgy Training Publications | publication-place=Chicago | date=1988 | isbn=0-930467-76-0 | oclc=17737025}}</ref>

=== Eastern Christianity ===
In [[Eastern Christianity]], the spiritual preparation for Easter/Pascha begins with [[Great Lent]], which starts on [[Clean Monday]] and lasts for 40 continuous days (including Sundays). Great Lent ends on a Friday, and the next day is [[Lazarus Saturday]]. The [[Vespers]] which begins Lazarus Saturday officially brings Great Lent to a close, although the fast continues through the following week.<ref name="BBC 2002">{{cite web | title=Religions - Christianity: Lent | website=BBC | date=2002-10-02 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/lent_1.shtml | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326025715/https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/lent_1.shtml | archive-date=2023-03-26 | url-status=live | access-date=2023-04-23}}</ref><ref name="McGuckin 2011 p. ">{{cite book | last=McGuckin | first=John Anthony | title=The Orthodox Church : an introduction to its history, doctrine, and spiritual culture | publication-place=Chichester, England | date=2011 | isbn=978-1-4443-9383-5 | oclc=1042251815}}</ref>

The [[Paschal Vigil]] begins with the [[Midnight Office]], which is the last service of the [[Lenten Triodion]] and is timed so that it ends a little before midnight on [[Holy Saturday]] night. At the stroke of midnight the Paschal celebration itself begins, consisting of Paschal [[Matins]], [[Paschal Hours]], and Paschal [[Divine Liturgy]].<ref name="Eastern Liturgy">{{cite web |last=Lash |first=Ephrem (Archimandrite) |title=On the Holy and Great Sunday of Pascha |publisher=Monastery of Saint Andrew the First Called, Manchester, England |date=25 January 2007 |url=http://www.anastasis.org.uk/pascha.htm |access-date=27 March 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070409193104/http://anastasis.org.uk/pascha.htm |archive-date=9 April 2007 }}</ref>

The liturgical season from Easter to the Sunday of [[All Saints' Day|All Saints]] (the Sunday after [[Pentecost]]) is known as the [[Pentecostarion]] (the "50 days"). The week which begins on Easter Sunday is called [[Bright Week]], during which there is no fasting, even on Wednesday and Friday. The [[Afterfeast]] of Easter lasts 39 days, with its [[Afterfeast|Apodosis]] (leave-taking) on the day before the [[Feast of the Ascension]]. Pentecost Sunday is the 50th day from Easter (counted inclusively).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://catholicism.about.com/od/holydaysandholidays/p/Pentecost.htm | title=Pentecost Sunday | publisher=About.com | access-date=28 March 2013 | archive-date=29 March 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329082039/http://catholicism.about.com/od/holydaysandholidays/p/Pentecost.htm | url-status=live }}</ref> In the Pentecostarion published by Apostoliki Diakonia of the Church of Greece, the Great Feast Pentecost is noted in the synaxarion portion of Matins to be the 8th Sunday of Pascha. However, the [[Paschal greeting]] of "Christ is risen!" is no longer exchanged among the faithful after the Apodosis of Pascha.<ref name="Holy Transfiguration Monastery">{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=1990 |title=The Pentecostarion |location=Massachusetts |publisher=Holy Transfiguration Monastery |pages=6–7 |isbn=0-943405-02-5}}</ref><ref name="melkite.org 2023">{{cite book |author=Liturgical Commission Of The Sisters Of The Order Of St Basil The Great| title=The Pentecostarion | date=1970 |via=melkite.org | url=https://melkite.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Church-Book-Pentecostarion-2018.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423160615/https://melkite.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Church-Book-Pentecostarion-2018.pdf | archive-date=2023-04-23 | url-status=live| access-date=2023-04-23}}</ref>