Selected Christian Observances
This data service calculates the dates of selected Christian observances
for the years 1583 and later. Enter a year below and click
on the "Get Data" button.
The date of Easter given here is the date
used by the western Christian churches and may not reflect the practice in all
denominations. It is computed using an
algorithm based on the ecclesiastical rules and tables of the 1582 Gregorian
calendar reform; the Gregorian
calendar is the one now used worldwide for civil purposes. The Gregorian calendar
was not necessarily in use in non-Catholic countries after its adoption. For
example, Protestant Germany, Denmark, and Norway did not use it until 1700. The
Gregorian calendar was first used in England and its colonies in September 1752.
| Selected Christian Observances |
|---|
| Ash Wednesday | | 46 days before Easter Sunday |
| Palm Sunday | | 7 days before Easter Sunday |
| Good Friday | | 2 days before Easter Sunday |
| Easter | | First Sunday following the first ecclesiastical full moon on or after 21 March |
| Ascension Day | | 39 days after Easter Sunday |
| Whit Sunday — Pentecost | | 49 days after Easter Sunday |
| Trinity Sunday | | 56 days after Easter Sunday |
| First Sunday in Advent | | Fourth Sunday before Christmas |
For information on how the date of Easter is determined or on calendars
generally, see The Date of Easter or
Introduction to Calendars.
For further information on calendars, see Richards, E.G. 2012,
"Calendars," from the
Explanatory
Supplement to the Astronomical Almanac, 3rd edition, S.E Urban
and P.K. Seidelmann eds., (Mill Valley, CA: University Science Books),
Chapter 15, pp. 585-624.
Application Programming Interface
This data service uses one of our Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). The API returns data in JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format for users who wish to manipulate data into a customized format. For more information on the API, please see the documentation page.
