Holy Week 2027 begins on Palm Sunday, March 21, 2027, and ends on Easter Sunday, March 28, 2027, for Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Anglican churches that follow the Gregorian calendar.
Eastern Orthodox and Coptic Orthodox churches, which calculate the date using the Julian calendar, observe Holy Week from Palm Sunday, April 25, 2027, through Pascha (Easter), May 2, 2027.
Holy Week is the final week of Lent and the eight days during which Christian churches commemorate the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, the crucifixion, and the resurrection.
Table of Contents
Holy Week 2027 Dates at a Glance
The eight-day observance spans two calendar months in 2027, opening in March for Western Christianity and, for Orthodox Christianity, extending into early May.
The dates below are fixed by ecclesiastical computation and do not change once calculated, unlike moon-phase estimates published years in advance for other observances.
When is Holy Week 2027? Western Holy Week 2027 runs from Sunday, March 21 through Sunday, March 28. Orthodox Holy Week 2027 runs from Sunday, April 25 through Sunday, May 2 — a five-week gap between the two traditions.
Holy Week 2027 Day-by-Day Dates (Western Christianity)
| Day | Date | Also Known As | Primary Observance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Sunday | Sunday, March 21, 2027 | Passion Sunday | Entry into Jerusalem, blessing and procession of palms |
| Holy Monday | Monday, March 22, 2027 | — | Anointing at Bethany |
| Holy Tuesday | Tuesday, March 23, 2027 | — | Prediction of betrayal and Peter’s denial |
| Holy Wednesday | Wednesday, March 24, 2027 | Spy Wednesday | Judas Iscariot’s agreement to betray Jesus |
| Maundy Thursday | Thursday, March 25, 2027 | Holy Thursday | Last Supper, institution of the Eucharist, washing of the feet |
| Good Friday | Friday, March 26, 2027 | Great Friday, Holy Friday | Passion and crucifixion |
| Holy Saturday | Saturday, March 27, 2027 | Easter Eve, Great Sabbath | Christ’s body in the tomb; Easter Vigil begins after nightfall |
| Easter Sunday | Sunday, March 28, 2027 | Pascha, Resurrection Sunday | Resurrection of Jesus |
Each date follows directly from the one before it: Holy Week is always seven consecutive days from Palm Sunday to Holy Saturday, with Easter Sunday as the eighth day marking its conclusion.
No date in the table above requires independent verification against a separate calendar, since each is fixed relative to Easter Sunday.
What Is Holy Week and Why Does the Date Change Every Year?
Holy Week is the seven-day period preceding Easter Sunday that commemorates the final week of Jesus Christ’s earthly life, from his entry into Jerusalem to his crucifixion and burial.
Unlike Christmas, which falls on a fixed calendar date, Holy Week is a moveable observance: its date is recalculated annually based on a lunisolar formula rather than a static day on the Gregorian calendar.
The Paschal Full Moon and the Computus Calculation
Easter Sunday falls on the first Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon, an ecclesiastical (not strictly astronomical) full moon that occurs on or after March 21.
This rule, known as the computus, was formalized following the First Council of Nicaea in AD 325 and has governed the Western dating of Easter since the Gregorian calendar reform of 1582.
For 2027 specifically, the astronomical spring equinox falls on Saturday, March 20, 2027, and the first full moon after the equinox — the Full Worm Moon — arrives on Monday, March 22, 2027.
The following Sunday, March 28, 2027, becomes Easter Sunday, placing Palm Sunday exactly one week earlier on March 21.
Why Holy Week 2027 Begins on March 21
Holy Week 2027 begins on March 21 because the Paschal Full Moon calculation for that year places Easter Sunday on March 28 — near the earlier end of the calendar range in which Easter can occur.
Easter Sunday can fall no earlier than March 22 and no later than April 25 under the Gregorian computus. A March 28 Easter places the 2027 observance closer to the early boundary than the late one, though it is not the earliest date the formula permits.
Holy Week 2027 vs. Holy Week 2026: How Much Earlier Is It?
Holy Week 2027 arrives eight calendar days earlier than Holy Week 2026. Easter Sunday fell on April 5, 2026, with Palm Sunday on March 29, 2026.
In 2027, both dates shift back by exactly one week and one day: Palm Sunday moves from March 29 to March 21, and Easter Sunday moves from April 5 to March 28.
This kind of year-over-year date shift is typical of the lunar calculation — Easter can move by as little as one day or by more than a month depending on when the Paschal Full Moon falls relative to a Sunday.
Holy Week 2027 Day-by-Day Timeline (Western Christianity)
This section maps each day of Western Holy Week 2027 to its liturgical event, biblical narrative, and typical church practice.
Palm Sunday — Sunday, March 21, 2027
Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem, when crowds reportedly laid palm branches and cloaks on the road before him.
Roman Catholic and many Protestant churches begin the liturgy with a blessing and procession of palm branches, followed by a reading of the Passion narrative.
In the 2027 liturgical cycle, this is Cycle B of the Roman Catholic Sunday Lectionary, meaning the Passion reading is taken from the Gospel of Mark rather than Matthew or Luke, which are used in Cycles A and C respectively.
Holy Monday — Monday, March 22, 2027
Holy Monday’s Gospel reading (John 12:1–11) recounts the anointing of Jesus at Bethany, where Mary of Bethany anoints his feet with expensive perfume six days before Passover.
There is no obligatory Mass attendance associated with this day in Western churches; it functions primarily as a day of private prayer and reflection during the Triduum’s approach.
Holy Tuesday — Tuesday, March 23, 2027
Holy Tuesday’s readings (John 13:21–33, 36–38) focus on Jesus predicting his betrayal by Judas and foretelling Peter’s denial.
Many parishes hold a Chrism Mass during this week — sometimes on Holy Tuesday, though more commonly on Holy Thursday morning or on a separate day convenient to the diocese — during which a bishop blesses the oils used in baptism, confirmation, and ordination for the coming year.
Holy Wednesday — Wednesday, March 24, 2027
Also called Spy Wednesday, this day marks the Gospel account (Matthew 26:14–25) of Judas Iscariot agreeing with the chief priests to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
The name “Spy Wednesday” derives from Judas’s role as an informant against Jesus during this period. Some Eastern rite churches hold the final Bridegroom Matins service of the week on the evening before this day.
Maundy Thursday — Thursday, March 25, 2027
Maundy Thursday, also called Holy Thursday, marks the beginning of the Easter Triduum and commemorates two events: the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist.
The Last Supper and the Institution of the Eucharist
The Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper commemorates the meal at which Jesus, according to the Synoptic Gospels and 1 Corinthians 11:23–26, shared bread and wine with his twelve apostles and instructed them to repeat the act in his memory.
Roman Catholic teaching identifies this meal as the institution of the Eucharist, one of the seven sacraments. Following the Mass, many parishes transfer the consecrated host to an “altar of repose” for adoration, and the main altar is stripped bare in preparation for Good Friday.
The Washing of the Feet
The Gospel of John (13:1–15) replaces the institution narrative with an account of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet, an act of servanthood he instructs them to imitate.
This reading gives Maundy Thursday its name: “Maundy” derives from the Latin mandatum (“commandment”), referencing Jesus’s words, “A new commandment I give to you: love one another.” Many parishes reenact the foot-washing ceremony, called the Mandatum, during the Thursday evening liturgy.
Good Friday — Friday, March 26, 2027
Good Friday commemorates the trial, crucifixion, and death of Jesus Christ. It is observed with fasting, abstinence, and a distinct liturgy that omits the celebration of Mass in the Roman Rite.
The Passion and Crucifixion Narrative
The Good Friday liturgy always uses the Passion account from the Gospel of John (18:1–19:42), regardless of the three-year Sunday cycle used elsewhere in the liturgical calendar.
This is one of the few Gospel readings in the Roman Rite that does not rotate between Matthew, Mark, and Luke from year to year.
The service typically includes veneration of the cross and the distribution of Holy Communion from hosts consecrated the previous evening, since no new consecration occurs on Good Friday.
Good Friday Fasting and Abstinence Rules for 2027
Roman Catholic canon law requires fasting and abstinence from meat on Good Friday for Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 (fasting) and 14 and older (abstinence), consistent with the rules that apply every year rather than being specific to 2027.
Fasting under canon law permits one full meal and two smaller meals that together do not equal a full meal, with no solid food between meals.
These obligations are unaffected by the calendar date and remain the same regardless of when Good Friday falls in a given year.
Holy Saturday — Saturday, March 27, 2027
Holy Saturday marks the day Jesus’s body lay in the tomb. Western liturgical practice observes the day with minimal ceremony until nightfall, when the Easter Vigil begins.
The Easter Vigil
The Easter Vigil, held after sundown on Holy Saturday, is structured around four parts: the Service of Light (blessing of the new fire and Paschal candle), the Liturgy of the Word (up to nine readings tracing salvation history from Genesis through the Gospel), the Liturgy of Baptism, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
Because the Vigil formally belongs to Easter Sunday’s liturgical day even though it is celebrated on Saturday evening, some parishes count it as the first Mass of Easter rather than the close of Holy Saturday.
In the 2027 liturgical cycle, the Vigil’s Gospel reading is taken from Mark 16:1–7, consistent with Cycle B.
Easter Sunday — Sunday, March 28, 2027
Easter Sunday, or Pascha, is the day Western Christianity commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, three days after his crucifixion by the inclusive counting method used in the Gospel accounts (Friday, Saturday, Sunday).
The Mass during the Day Gospel reading is John 20:1–9, describing Mary Magdalene’s discovery of the empty tomb, used every year regardless of the Sunday cycle.
The Easter Triduum: The Three Days Within Holy Week
The Easter Triduum (from the Latin triduum, “three days”) is a distinct liturgical unit within Holy Week, comprising the evening of Maundy Thursday through the evening of Easter Sunday.
It is not identical to Holy Week as a whole — Palm Sunday through Wednesday fall outside the Triduum.
Liturgically, the Triduum is treated as a single unbroken service divided across three calendar days: it begins with the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Thursday, March 25, 2027, continues through the Good Friday liturgy and the Easter Vigil, and concludes with Evening Prayer on Sunday, March 28, 2027.
The Roman Missal explicitly counts the Triduum as beginning Thursday evening and ending Sunday evening, spanning three full days rather than the four calendar dates it touches.
Orthodox Holy Week 2027: Dates, Calendar, and the Five-Week Gap
Orthodox Holy Week 2027 does not coincide with the Western dates above. Eastern Orthodox and Coptic Orthodox churches observe Holy Week from Palm Sunday, April 25, 2027, through Pascha, May 2, 2027 — a five-week separation from the Western dates, one of the larger gaps the two traditions can produce.
Julian vs. Gregorian Calendar: Why Orthodox Holy Week Falls Later
Eastern Orthodox churches calculate Easter using the Julian calendar, which the Roman Catholic Church replaced with the Gregorian calendar in 1582.
The Julian calendar has drifted 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar as of the 21st century because it does not account for leap years with the same precision.
Orthodox Easter must also fall on or after the Julian equivalent of the vernal equinox and, by long-standing custom in most Orthodox churches, after the start of Passover in a given year.
The combined effect is that Orthodox Easter always falls on or after Western Easter, ranging from the same Sunday in some years to as much as five weeks later, as occurs in 2027.
Orthodox Easter’s possible range under this calculation spans April 4 to May 8 on the Gregorian calendar.
Orthodox Holy Week 2027 Day-by-Day Dates
| Day | Date (Gregorian) |
|---|---|
| Palm Sunday | Sunday, April 25, 2027 |
| Holy Monday | Monday, April 26, 2027 |
| Holy Tuesday | Tuesday, April 27, 2027 |
| Holy Wednesday | Wednesday, April 28, 2027 |
| Holy (Great) Thursday | Thursday, April 29, 2027 |
| Great (Good) Friday | Friday, April 30, 2027 |
| Holy Saturday | Saturday, May 1, 2027 |
| Pascha (Easter) | Sunday, May 2, 2027 |
The Coptic Orthodox Church, which uses the same Alexandrian Paschal computation as the Eastern Orthodox Church in most years, also observes Easter on Sunday, May 2, 2027, with Coptic Good Friday on April 30, 2027, and Coptic Holy Saturday on May 1, 2027 — dates that align exactly with the Eastern Orthodox schedule above.
When Will Western and Orthodox Easter Align Again?
Western and Orthodox Easter next fall on the same Sunday on April 16, 2028, one year after the five-week 2027 gap.
The two traditions align in some years and diverge by as much as five weeks in others, depending on how the Julian and Gregorian lunar calculations interact for a given year; there is no fixed interval between alignment years.
Comparison: Western Holy Week 2027 vs. Orthodox Holy Week 2027
| Attribute | Western Holy Week 2027 | Orthodox Holy Week 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Palm Sunday | Sunday, March 21, 2027 | Sunday, April 25, 2027 |
| Good Friday | Friday, March 26, 2027 | Friday, April 30, 2027 |
| Easter Sunday | Sunday, March 28, 2027 | Sunday, May 2, 2027 |
| Calendar system used | Gregorian | Julian (dates converted to Gregorian) |
| Governing tradition | Roman Catholic, Protestant, Anglican | Eastern Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox |
| Gap between the two in 2027 | — | 35 days (5 weeks) later than Western |
| Fasting period preceding it | 40-day Lent (Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday) | Great Lent, typically 40 days plus Holy Week, observed with stricter dietary rules |
Fasting, Abstinence, and Dietary Rules During Holy Week 2027
Fasting rules during Holy Week 2027 vary by denomination but generally intensify as the week progresses toward Good Friday.
Lent 2027 begins on Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2027, and continues through Holy Saturday, March 27, 2027, spanning 46 calendar days (40 fasting days when the six intervening Sundays are excluded).
Catholic Fasting and Abstinence Rules
Roman Catholic canon law designates Good Friday and Ash Wednesday as the only two mandatory fast days on the universal calendar, with fasting binding Catholics aged 18 through 59 and abstinence from meat binding those 14 and older.
Abstinence from meat also applies to every Friday in Lent, including all three Fridays that fall within the extended Lenten season leading into Holy Week 2027.
These rules apply consistently year to year and are not adjusted based on which calendar dates Lent occupies in a given year.
Orthodox Great Lent and Holy Week Fasting Rules
Eastern Orthodox fasting rules during Great Lent and Holy Week are generally stricter than Western Lenten practice, typically excluding meat, dairy, eggs, fish (with exceptions on certain feast days), wine, and olive oil for extended stretches, with the most rigorous restrictions observed during Holy Week itself, particularly Great and Holy Friday.
Specific practices vary by jurisdiction (Greek, Russian, Antiochian, and other Orthodox churches maintain their own pastoral guidance), so the degree of strictness observed by an individual parish should be confirmed with that parish rather than assumed from a general rule.
Traditional Holy Week Foods by Region
Traditional Holy Week diets reflect fasting restrictions and regional custom rather than a single universal menu. Examples include:
- Fanesca, an Ecuadorian Holy Week soup made with salt cod and a mix of grains and legumes, prepared specifically during this week and rarely eaten at other times of year
- Torrijas, a Spanish bread-and-egg dish similar to French toast, associated with Semana Santa in Spain
- Hot cross buns, spiced buns marked with a cross, traditionally eaten on Good Friday in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries
- Bakalar (dried salt cod), consumed across parts of the Balkans and Mediterranean Europe as a Good Friday meat substitute
Holy Week 2027 Prayers, Scripture Readings, and Devotionals
Daily Scripture Reading Plan for Holy Week 2027
The table below lists the primary Gospel reading assigned to each day of Western Holy Week 2027 in the Roman Catholic Lectionary for Mass.
These weekday Holy Week readings are fixed and do not rotate with the three-year Sunday cycle, unlike the Palm Sunday and Easter Vigil readings noted earlier.
| Day | Date | Primary Gospel Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Palm Sunday | March 21, 2027 | Mark 14:1–15:47 (Passion, Cycle B) |
| Holy Monday | March 22, 2027 | John 12:1–11 |
| Holy Tuesday | March 23, 2027 | John 13:21–33, 36–38 |
| Holy Wednesday | March 24, 2027 | Matthew 26:14–25 |
| Maundy Thursday | March 25, 2027 | John 13:1–15 |
| Good Friday | March 26, 2027 | John 18:1–19:42 |
| Holy Saturday (Vigil) | March 27, 2027 | Mark 16:1–7 (Cycle B) |
| Easter Sunday | March 28, 2027 | John 20:1–9 |
The Stations of the Cross
The Stations of the Cross, also called the Way of the Cross or Via Crucis, is a devotional sequence of fourteen (in some traditions, fifteen) meditations on episodes of Jesus’s condemnation, journey to Calvary, and death.
Many parishes hold a Stations of the Cross service on Good Friday, March 26, 2027, in addition to the formal liturgy, and some observe it on multiple Fridays throughout Lent leading up to Holy Week.
Tenebrae Services
Tenebrae (Latin for “darkness” or “shadows”) is a service held during the Triduum in some Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran parishes, involving the gradual extinguishing of candles while psalms and readings are chanted, ending in near or total darkness to symbolize the events of the Passion.
It is typically scheduled on the evening of Holy Wednesday, March 24, 2027, or during the Triduum itself, depending on parish custom.
Holy Week Traditions Around the World
Holy Week observance varies substantially by region, with some countries holding public processions and pageantry that draw international visitors.
Semana Santa in Spain
Semana Santa (“Holy Week” in Spanish) is marked in cities including Seville, Málaga, and Zaragoza by elaborate street processions organized by religious brotherhoods called cofradÃas or hermandades.
Participants known as Nazarenos wear pointed hoods (capirotes) and robes while carrying ornate wooden float platforms (pasos) depicting scenes of the Passion through city streets, often accompanied by marching bands and incense.
Holy Week in the Philippines
Philippine Holy Week observance combines Catholic liturgy with practices including the Senakulo, a dramatic reenactment of the Passion of Christ performed in many towns, and in some regions, penitential practices such as self-flagellation and, in a small number of specific towns including San Fernando in Pampanga province, reenacted crucifixions performed by voluntary penitents.
Most businesses and government offices in the Philippines close for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, which are official public holidays.
Holy Week in Latin America
Guatemala’s Holy Week observance, centered in the colonial city of Antigua, is known for elaborate alfombras — intricate carpets made from dyed sawdust, flowers, and pine needles laid across procession routes and destroyed as processions pass over them.
Mexico and El Salvador hold similar procession-based observances, often organized around parish confraternities and incorporating regional variations in imagery and route.
Denominational Differences During Holy Week 2027
Holy Week observance is not uniform across Christian traditions; practices differ by denomination even where the underlying commemorated events are shared.
Roman Catholic Observance
Roman Catholic parishes follow the Triduum structure described above, with mandatory fasting and abstinence rules, the Chrism Mass, and the Easter Vigil as fixed liturgical anchors.
Eastern Orthodox Observance
Eastern Orthodox Holy Week follows the Julian-calendar dates listed earlier and places distinct emphasis on the Bridegroom Matins services (held on the evenings preceding Holy Monday through Holy Wednesday), the Twelve Gospels service on Holy Thursday evening, and the Epitaphios procession on Great Friday evening, in which a cloth icon representing Christ’s body is carried through or around the church.
Protestant and Anglican Observance
Protestant and Anglican observance of Holy Week varies significantly by denomination. Anglican and Lutheran churches often retain much of the Catholic liturgical structure, including Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday foot-washing, and Good Friday services.
Many evangelical and non-denominational Protestant churches observe Palm Sunday and Good Friday but do not follow a formal Triduum structure, and some do not mark Holy Week with distinct services beyond Easter Sunday itself.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Holy Week
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not follow the traditional liturgical calendar or the Triduum structure observed by Catholic, Orthodox, and many Protestant churches.
LDS congregations do not hold formal Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, or Good Friday services as a matter of official church practice, though individual members and the “Come, Follow Me” curriculum may incorporate Easter-focused study and reflection during the same calendar window.
What Holy Week 2027 Does Not Include
Several common points of confusion are worth clarifying directly:
- Holy Week is not the same as Lent. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2027, and lasts 46 calendar days; Holy Week is only the final seven of those days.
- Good Friday is not a federal public holiday in the United States, though some individual states and many private employers observe it as a paid or optional holiday.
- Neither Good Friday nor Holy Thursday is a Catholic Holy Day of Obligation; the six U.S. Holy Days of Obligation are January 1, Ascension Thursday, August 15, November 1, December 8, and December 25.
- “Easter Week” in Western usage sometimes refers to the week following Easter Sunday (the Octave of Easter), not Holy Week itself, which precedes it. This is a common source of naming confusion in casual usage.
- Holy Week 2027 does not apply to LDS congregational practice in the same liturgical form used by Catholic, Orthodox, and many Protestant and Anglican churches, as noted above.
Frequently Asked Questions About Holy Week 2027
When does Holy Week 2027 start and end?
Western Holy Week 2027 starts on Palm Sunday, March 21, 2027, and ends on Easter Sunday, March 28, 2027. Orthodox Holy Week 2027 starts on April 25, 2027, and ends on May 2, 2027.
What day is Easter Sunday in 2027?
Easter Sunday 2027 falls on Sunday, March 28, 2027, for Western churches and Sunday, May 2, 2027, for Eastern Orthodox and Coptic Orthodox churches.
Is Holy Thursday a Holy Day of Obligation?
No. Holy Thursday is not one of the six Holy Days of Obligation recognized by the USCCB for Latin Rite Catholics in the United States. Attendance at the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper is strongly encouraged but not canonically obligatory.
Can Catholics eat meat during Holy Week 2027?
Meat is prohibited for Catholics aged 14 and older on Good Friday, March 26, 2027, and on any Fridays within the broader Lenten season. Meat is not universally prohibited on the other days of Holy Week outside of Friday, though individual fasting commitments may extend further.
What are the seven days of Holy Week called?
The seven days are Palm Sunday, Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Holy (Spy) Wednesday, Maundy (Holy) Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, with Easter Sunday marking the conclusion of the week as an eighth day.
Why is Orthodox Easter 2027 five weeks after Catholic Easter?
Orthodox Easter falls later because Eastern Orthodox churches calculate the date using the Julian calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar, combined with the traditional requirement that Orthodox Easter fall after the start of Passover in a given year. The two dates can align in some years and diverge by up to five weeks in others; 2027 produces one of the larger gaps.
What is the difference between Holy Week and the Easter Triduum?
Holy Week spans eight days, from Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday. The Easter Triduum is a narrower three-day liturgical unit within Holy Week, running from the evening of Maundy Thursday through the evening of Easter Sunday, and does not include Palm Sunday through Holy Wednesday.
Conclusion
Holy Week 2027 spans March 21 through March 28, 2027, for Western Christian churches and April 25 through May 2, 2027, for Eastern Orthodox and Coptic Orthodox churches, separated by a five-week gap that will not recur in the same form until the two traditions realign on April 16, 2028.
The week’s structure — from Palm Sunday’s procession through the Triduum’s three days to Easter Sunday’s resurrection observance — remains consistent in sequence from year to year, even as the specific dates shift according to the lunisolar computus that has governed Easter’s calculation since the fourth century.
