When is Easter 2016? Good Friday and Easter Sunday dates this year

Easter 2016 is only a few weeks away, and this year Good Friday will fall on March 25, while Easter Monday will be on March 28. This means Easter Day 2016 will be on March 27. The day marks the end of the Lent season and celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Easter marks how Jesus resurrected three days after his crucifixion on Good Friday. His death and resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith because without it, believers would not be saved from their sins.

While most festivals have fixed schedules, Easter is usually celebrated on the first Sunday after the paschal full moon. Based on the Jewish calendar, the paschal full moon is the date of the Passover and the Last Supper. Since Christ was resurrected on the third day, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the Passover.

Holy Week starts on March 20, Palm Sunday, which commemorates Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The other important days in the week are Maundy Thursday on Mar. 24 and Good Friday on Mar. 25.

Maundy Thursday is a commemoration of Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples. Good Friday, on the other hand, is the first of the three Easter days, which marks Christ's suffering and path to the cross.

In the modern era, Easter celebrations often now include Easter Eggs, with the eggs representing new life (the resurrection). Cracking the eggs open is meant to symbolize the witnessing of the empty tomb of Jesus after he rose again in his resurrection.