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Easter in India: the date, Holy Week and where to spend it
From the silence of Good Friday to Easter morning
Easter is the Christian feast of the Resurrection, kept on the first Sunday after the spring full moon. The next Easter Sunday is 28 March 2027. In India it closes Holy Week in the churches of Goa, Kerala, Mumbai and the Christian-majority states of the Northeast; Good Friday, two days earlier, is a national public holiday.
The Resurrection, celebrated after Holy Week in the churches of Goa, Kerala and across India
Fixed years ahead by the Western church calendar: the first Sunday after the spring full moon.
The legend
According to the Gospels, Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey, and the crowd greets him with palm branches.
On Thursday he shares a last supper with his disciples and breaks bread with them.
On Friday he is crucified at Calvary, and his body is laid in a tomb cut in the rock.
On the third day the tomb is empty: Christians believe that Christ has risen.
Meaning
Kerala
A week after Easter pilgrims climb the hill at Malayattoor, where the apostle Thomas is believed to have prayed, calling all the way: "Climb we shall, this golden hill!"
Goa
In Lent, Goa Velha carries out some thirty life-size statues of saints, and people of many faiths duck beneath the litters.
Customs
Foot washing
On Maundy Thursday the priest washes parishioners' feet, as Jesus washed the feet of the twelve apostles before supper.
Silent bells
After the Maundy Thursday Mass the bells fall silent until Easter night, when they ring out for the Resurrection.
Way of the Cross
On Good Friday the faithful walk the fourteen Stations of the Cross, praying at each.
Paschal candle
On Easter night a new tall candle is lit, marked with a cross, the letters alpha and omega and the year.
What people eat
Pesaha appam
unleavened rice cake with a cross of palm leaves
Pesaha paal
coconut milk with jaggery, for dipping the appam
Goan marzipan
marzipan made with cashews instead of almonds, shaped into Easter eggs
Words of the festival
ഉയിർപ്പ് തിരുനാൾ
Uyirppu Thirunal
"feast of the resurrection": Easter in Malayalam
ഓശാന ഞായർ
Oshana Njayar
Palm Sunday in Malayalam, from the cry "hosanna"
ദുഃഖവെള്ളിയാഴ്ച
Dukhavelliyazhcha
"Friday of sorrow": Good Friday in Malayalam
True or myth
❌ Myth. Tradition says the apostle Thomas reached Kerala in AD 52; Vasco da Gama landed only in 1498.
✅ True. Pesaha appam is also called INRI appam, after the Latin initials INRI, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews".
❌ Myth. In Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya Christianity is the main religion.
How the date is set
Easter moves every year. By the Western church calendar it is the first Sunday after the spring full moon, so it always falls between 22 March and 25 April, and the date is known years ahead. India’s central holiday list follows this Western date: Easter Sunday (28 March 2027) is on the restricted list, from which government staff pick optional days off, while Good Friday is one of the compulsory holidays for all central government offices. Banks and offices close on Good Friday, and in Christian neighbourhoods many shops stay shut.
The Orthodox churches count Easter by the Julian calendar. Their date either falls on the same Sunday or comes later, by one, four or five weeks.
Where Easter is worth being in India
Easter in India is a festival of church services and family tables rather than street events. It is worth joining if you are already in one of these places that week.
Goa
Holy Week in the baroque churches of Old Goa and Panjim, after a Lent of processions such as the Procession of All Saints at Goa Velha, where some thirty life-size statues of saints are carried out and people of many faiths duck beneath the litters. More: churches of Goa.
Kerala
The Saint Thomas Christians trace their tradition to the apostle Thomas, who by tradition reached Kerala in AD 52. A week after Easter pilgrims climb the hill at Malayattoor, where Thomas is believed to have prayed (4 April 2027, expected). In Kochi: churches of Kochi.
Mumbai
Holy Week and Easter services in the city’s churches, worth joining if you are in Mumbai that week: see churches of Mumbai.
The Northeast
In Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya Christianity is the main religion, and Easter is kept by most of the population.
Going to a service as a visitor
Churches welcome visitors at Holy Week services. A few things make it easier for everyone.
- Dress and phone — Dress modestly, silence your phone and sit towards the back if you are not taking part.
- Photos — Ask before photographing inside a church, and never use flash during a service.
- The Vigil — The Easter Vigil on Saturday night can last two to three hours. Arrive early if you want a seat.
- Good Friday — Expect closed banks and offices, and many shops shut in Christian areas. Plan money and errands for Thursday.
FAQ
When is Easter 2027?
Easter Sunday is 28 March 2027. Good Friday is two days earlier and Palm Sunday a week earlier.
What is Easter and why is it celebrated?
Easter celebrates the Resurrection: Christians believe that on the third day after the crucifixion the tomb was found empty and Christ had risen. It closes Holy Week, the most solemn days of the Christian year.
Is Easter a holiday in India?
Good Friday is a compulsory national holiday. Easter Sunday is on the central government’s restricted list, and it falls on a Sunday anyway.
Why does the Easter date change every year?
Because it is tied to the moon: Easter is the first Sunday after the spring full moon, so by the Western calendar it moves between 22 March and 25 April.
Is Easter only celebrated in Goa and Kerala?
No. Goa and Kerala are the best known, but Easter is kept in churches across India, including Mumbai, and in Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya Christianity is the main religion.
Did Christianity reach India with the Portuguese?
No. Tradition says the apostle Thomas reached Kerala in AD 52; Vasco da Gama landed only in 1498.
Facts checked: 21 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.