What Day Is Easter 2017?

This year, Easter falls on Sunday, April 16.

The Christian holiday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus from crucifixion. The date usually falls on the first Sunday after the full moon. For many Christians, Easter is not just a day but a season. It marks the end of 40 days of Lent, followed by Good Friday, which is considered the day Jesus was crucified and subsequently died. Churches around the world will begin celebrations and hold reenactments for the occasion and families will gather for large feasts and holiday drinks to commemorate the occasion.

Easter traditions are rumored to have been started by German immigrants in Pennsylvania during the 1700s. During the season of Easter, German immigrants would make nests for their children and await a rabbit called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws” to bestow multi-colored eggs on the children for good behavior. As the years went by, Americans began to add their own spin to the folklore, adding in a hunt for Easter eggs that contain candy, chocolates, money and other gifts.

Even the White House will partake in the festivities, with its 139th annual Easter Egg Roll on its South Lawn.