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The Christian Year 2027

Christian Calendar 2027: Every Holy Day and Date

In the 2027 Christian calendar, Easter Sunday falls on March 28, 2027, and Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, falls on February 10, 2027. Every moveable holy day follows from Easter, so Palm Sunday is March 21, Good Friday is March 26 and Pentecost is May 16.

Ash WednesdayFeb 10Wednesday, 2027Easter SundayMar 28Sunday, 2027PentecostMay 16Sunday, 2027Advent beginsNov 28Sunday, 2027

The church year does not start on January 1. It begins on the First Sunday of Advent, so the 2027 church year opened on November 29, 2026, and runs until Advent comes around again on November 28, 2027. Catholic parishes read from Sunday Year B of the lectionary in this year, and many Protestant churches that use the Revised Common Lectionary follow the same Year B.

Below is every major holy day with its 2027 date, followed by the seasons, the Orthodox dates, and answers to the questions people ask most. For the story behind each feast, see our guide to the Christian holidays.

Every Christian holy day in 2027

Christian holy days of the 2027 church year, Western calendar
DateDayHoly daySeasonMeaning
SundayFirst Sunday of AdventThe 2027 church year beginsAdventFour weeks of hopeful waiting for the coming of Christ.
FridayChristmas DayChristmasThe birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.
WednesdayEpiphanyUS Catholic dioceses: Sunday, Jan 3ChristmasThe Magi worship Jesus, the light revealed to the nations.
SundayBaptism of the LordChristmas (last day)Jesus is baptized in the Jordan and begins His ministry.
WednesdayAsh WednesdayLentLent begins with ashes and a call to return to God.
Wednesday to ThursdayLentLentForty days of prayer, fasting and giving before Easter.
SundayPalm SundayHoly Week beginsLentCrowds welcome Jesus into Jerusalem with palm branches.
ThursdayHoly (Maundy) ThursdayLent ends and the Triduum begins at eveningLent, then TriduumThe Last Supper and Jesus washing the disciples' feet.
FridayGood FridayTriduumThe crucifixion and death of Jesus on the cross.
SaturdayHoly SaturdayThe Easter Vigil is held that nightTriduumA quiet day of waiting while Jesus lies in the tomb.
SundayEaster SundayEasterJesus rises from the dead, the heart of the Christian faith.
ThursdayAscension DayMost US Catholic dioceses: Sunday, May 9EasterThe risen Jesus is taken up into heaven.
SundayPentecostThe Easter season endsEaster (last day)The Holy Spirit comes upon the first believers.
SundayTrinity SundayOrdinary TimeOne God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
ThursdayCorpus ChristiUS Catholic dioceses: Sunday, May 30Ordinary TimeMainly Catholic: honors Christ present in the Eucharist.
MondayAll Saints' DayOrdinary TimeThanks for all the faithful who have gone before us.
TuesdayAll Souls' DayOrdinary TimePrayer and remembrance for all the faithful departed.
SundayChrist the KingLast Sunday of the church yearOrdinary TimeJesus proclaimed King over all creation.
ThursdayThanksgiving Day (US)Fourth Thursday of NovemberOrdinary TimeA national day of giving thanks to God for His blessings.
SundayFirst Sunday of AdventThe 2028 church year beginsAdventAdvent 2027 begins the countdown to Christmas.
SaturdayChristmas DayChristmasThe birth of Jesus, God with us.

Dates follow the Western (Gregorian) calendar used by Catholic and Protestant churches. Orthodox dates are listed further down.

Which 2027 holy days move for US Catholics?

The US Catholic calendar moves a few feasts to a nearby Sunday or another day. In 2027, according to the USCCB liturgical calendar:

  • Epiphany is celebrated on Sunday, January 3, instead of Wednesday, January 6.
  • Ascension is kept on Thursday, May 6, only in the ecclesiastical provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Omaha and Philadelphia. Everywhere else in the US it moves to Sunday, May 9.
  • Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ, is celebrated on Sunday, May 30.
  • All Saints' Day falls on a Monday, so in 2027 it is not a holy day of obligation in the US.
  • The Annunciation, usually March 25, moves to Monday, April 5, because March 25 is Holy Thursday.

Protestant churches set their own practice for these feasts, so the day your congregation keeps may differ. When in doubt, check your church's calendar.

When is Easter 2027, and why does it move?

Easter 2027 is Sunday, March 28. That is early, since Easter can fall anywhere from March 22 to April 25.

The rule goes back to the Council of Nicaea in 325. Western churches celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after the first church full moon on or after March 21. That full moon comes from fixed tables, not from watching the sky. In 2027 it falls on Monday, March 22, so Easter is the following Sunday, March 28.

Because the whole spring calendar counts from Easter, an early Easter pulls everything forward. Ash Wednesday comes 46 days before it, Ascension 39 days after, and Pentecost 49 days after.

When does Lent start in 2027?

Lent 2027 begins on Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2027. It leads through Palm Sunday on March 21 and Holy Week to Easter on March 28. In the Catholic Church, Lent ends at sundown on Holy Thursday, March 25, when the Easter Triduum begins.

Lent is called forty days, yet Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday is 46 days. The six Sundays are part of the season, but they are not counted as fast days. For fasting rules, traditions and what to give up, see our full page on Lent 2027 dates and meaning.

When is Orthodox Easter 2027?

Orthodox Easter, called Pascha, is Sunday, May 2, 2027. That is five weeks, or 35 days, after Western Easter on March 28. Orthodox churches still calculate Easter with the older Julian calendar, which is why the two dates often differ.

  • Orthodox Christmas: Orthodox churches that follow the Julian calendar, such as the Serbian Orthodox Church, celebrate Christmas on January 7. In 2027 that is a Thursday. Other Orthodox churches, including the Orthodox Church in America, keep Christmas on December 25.
  • Great Lent: begins on Clean Monday, March 15, 2027.
  • Orthodox Good Friday: April 30, 2027.
  • Pascha: Sunday, May 2, 2027.
  • Orthodox Pentecost: Sunday, June 20, 2027.

The two Easters will line up again in 2028, when both fall on April 16.

What are the seasons of the Christian year?

The church year tells the story of Jesus in five seasons. Liturgical churches such as Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran congregations follow it closely, while many other churches mark Christmas and Easter without keeping every season. Our article on the church year and its colors goes deeper.

Advent

Nov 29 to Dec 24, 2026, and again from Nov 28, 2027

Advent is four Sundays of waiting and preparation for Christmas. It opens the church year. Advent 2026 begins the 2027 church year on November 29, 2026, and Advent 2027 begins on November 28, 2027.

Christmas

Dec 25, 2026 to Jan 10, 2027

Christmas is a season, not just a day. In the Catholic calendar it runs from Christmas Day through the Baptism of the Lord on January 10, 2027. Many churches also count the twelve days of Christmas, December 25 through January 5, before Epiphany. Christmas 2027 falls on a Saturday.

Lent

Feb 10 to Mar 25, 2027

Lent is a season of prayer, fasting and generosity that prepares the heart for Easter. It starts on Ash Wednesday, February 10, and in the Catholic Church ends at sundown on Holy Thursday, March 25.

Easter

Mar 28 to May 16, 2027

Easter is fifty days of joy, not one Sunday. It begins on Easter Day, March 28, includes the Ascension, and ends on Pentecost 2027, May 16.

Ordinary Time

Jan 11 to Feb 9, and May 17 to Nov 27, 2027

Ordinary Time is the longest season, made of numbered weeks that are a time to grow in following Jesus day by day. It fills two stretches of 2027: after the Christmas season until Lent, and after Pentecost until Advent. Christ the King on November 21 closes it.

Is Thanksgiving on the Christian calendar?

Thanksgiving is a national holiday rather than a church feast, yet it is a day built around giving thanks to God. The US Catholic calendar includes it, with readings from the Mass In Thanksgiving to God. Thanksgiving 2027 is Thursday, November 25, the fourth Thursday of November. Read more about the faith history behind Thanksgiving.

Christian calendar 2027 FAQ

When is Easter 2027?

Easter 2027 is Sunday, March 28, 2027, for Western churches, both Catholic and Protestant. Orthodox churches celebrate Pascha five weeks later, on Sunday, May 2, 2027, because they still calculate Easter with the older Julian calendar.

When does Lent start in 2027?

Lent 2027 starts on Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2027, and leads to Easter on March 28. In the Catholic Church, Lent ends at sundown on Holy Thursday, March 25. Orthodox Great Lent begins later, on Clean Monday, March 15, 2027.

Why does Easter change every year?

Easter follows the moon. Western churches keep it on the first Sunday after the church's full moon on or after March 21, so it can fall from March 22 to April 25. In 2027 that full moon falls on Monday, March 22, so Easter is March 28.

When is Pentecost 2027?

Pentecost 2027 is Sunday, May 16, 2027, the fiftieth day of the Easter season counting Easter Sunday itself. It closes the Easter season. Orthodox churches celebrate Pentecost on Sunday, June 20, 2027, fifty days after their Pascha.

When does Advent start in 2027?

Advent 2027 starts on Sunday, November 28, 2027, the fourth Sunday before Christmas, and it opens the 2028 church year. The 2027 church year itself began on the First Sunday of Advent, November 29, 2026.

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