March 27, 2026, 6:04 a.m. ET
- Holy Week 2026 begins on Palm Sunday, March 29, and leads as much as Easter Sunday on April 5.
- Each day of Holy Week commemorates a unique occasion from the ultimate week of Jesus’s life.
- The 40-day interval of Lent, which started on Ash Wednesday, concludes on Holy Thursday, April 2.
The Easter season will come to a close in a little bit over every week, on Easter Sunday. But the times main as much as Easter Sunday are equally vital to many Christians and Catholics. Holy Week begins this Sunday, March 29, with Palm Sunday.
Each day of Holy Week commemorates completely different occasions within the week main as much as the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, based on the Bible.
Here’s the calendar for Holy Week 2026, what Palm Sunday is and what to find out about different Holy Week days.
When is Easter Sunday 2026?
Easter Sunday will fall on April 5 in 2026. In 2025, Easter fell a lot later within the month, on April 20. Eastern Orthodox Easter will fall on Sunday, April 12, 2026.
What are the 7 days of Holy Week? See Holy Week 2026 calendar
Holy Week begins one week earlier than Easter, with Palm Sunday this weekend.
Here’s the Holy Week 2026 calendar:
- Palm Sunday: Sunday, March 29. Commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.
- Holy Monday: Monday, March 30. Commemorates Jesus driving out individuals promoting livestock and altering cash within the temple, declaring it a “house of prayer.”
- Holy Tuesday: Tuesday, March 31. Commemorates Jesus’ closing teachings in Jerusalem.
- Holy Wednesday: Wednesday, April 1. Sometimes known as “Spy Wednesday,” Holy Wednesday commemorates Judas conspiring with native authorities to betray Jesus.
- Holy Thursday, Lent ends: Thursday, April 2. Sometimes known as “Maundy Thursday,” Holy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, the place Jesus shared his final meal along with his disciples earlier than being arrested and establishes the sacrament of communion.
- Good Friday: Friday, April 3. Commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus.
- Holy Saturday: Saturday, April 4. Commemorates Jesus’s burial.
- Easter Sunday: Sunday, April 5. Commemorates Jesus’s resurrection as described in Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24 and John 20 within the New Testament of the Bible.
What is the importance of Palm Sunday?
Palm Sunday is at all times one week earlier than Easter Sunday and marks the start of Holy Week every year.
Palm Sunday commemorates the start of Jesus’s closing week of ministry earlier than his crucifixion. According to the New Testament Gospels within the Bible, Jesus entered Jerusalem on a humble donkey, the place crowds greeted him with reward, laying down their cloaks and palm branches (symbols of victory) earlier than him. The story of Palm Sunday within the Bible will be discovered within the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 21.
“Today, believers celebrate Palm Sunday through worship, Scripture reading, and joyful remembrance; a time to honor Christ’s kingship and prepare our hearts for the sacrifice and victory of Easter,” according to Biblestudytools.com.
Today, many Christians obtain palm branches at Palm Sunday church companies, typically twisted into the form of a cross.
When does Lent finish? Lent 2026 dates
Lent, which started on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, is the official starting of the Easter season.
Lent is a 40-day interval of fasting, prayer and repentance that many Christians and Catholics observe main as much as Easter Sunday. Many individuals quit one thing they love for these 40 days, whereas others select to quick from meals in several methods.
Lent ends at sunset on Holy Thursday. In 2026, Lent will finish on Thursday, April 2.
What, when is Good Friday?
Good Friday at all times falls on the Friday instantly earlier than Easter Sunday and commemorates the day Jesus was crucified.
“For Christians, Good Friday is an important day of the year because it celebrates what we believe to be the most momentous weekend in the history of the world,” Christianity.com says. “Ever since Jesus died and was raised, Christians have proclaimed the cross and resurrection of Jesus to be the decisive turning point for all creation.”
Good Friday 2026 falls on April 3.
Why does Easter change yearly?
Easter’s date modifications as a result of it’s based mostly on the lunar calendar. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Easter Sunday at all times falls on the primary full moon after the spring equinox.
“While Christmas is fixed to a solar calendar (and near the winter solstice), Easter is based on the lunar cycles of the Jewish calendar,” the almanac says.
“In the Christian religion, the Last Supper (the final meal Jesus shared with his apostles before his crucifixion) was a Passover feast. Because Easter is based on a lunar month (which is 29.5 days), the date of Easter can vary.”
Lianna Norman is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, overlaying popular culture, rocket launches, Florida wildlife, breaking information and extra. You can get all of Florida’s finest content material immediately in your inbox every weekday by signing up for the free e-newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
