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Meaning & use

Easter Day

proper noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈiː.stə ˌdeɪ/
US/ˈiː.stɚ ˌdeɪ/

Meanings

  1. proper nounproper

    The Sunday on which Christians celebrate the rising of Jesus from the dead.

    Grammar: Used as a name, so it normally takes no article: we say at Easter Day, not at the Easter Day.

    Patterns

    • on Easter Day
    • at Easter Day
    • Easter Day service

    Many families go to church together on Easter Day.

    The shops are closed on Easter Day, so buy what you need the day before.

    She was baptized on Easter Day last year.

  2. proper nounproper

    The day itself as a date in the calendar, which falls in late March or April.

    Grammar: Often used when talking about when something happens, usually after on.

    Patterns

    • Easter Day falls on ...
    • Easter Day is early/late this year

    Easter Day falls on April 20 this year.

    Because Easter Day is late this year, the school break starts in the middle of April.

Common combinations

on Easter Day
We always visit my grandparents on Easter Day.
Easter Day service
The Easter Day service was held in the village church.
Easter Day lunch
They invited us to Easter Day lunch at their house.
Easter Day falls on
Next year Easter Day falls on the fifth of April.
the meaning of Easter Day
The children learned about the meaning of Easter Day in class.

Synonyms and how they differ

Easter Sunday
The usual everyday name for the same day; it sounds more natural in conversation than Easter Day.
Easter
Shorter and broader, covering the whole holiday period, not just the Sunday.
Resurrection Sunday
A formal name used mainly by some churches; it is not common in ordinary speech.

Word family

Easter proper noun
The Christian festival that includes Easter Day.
Eastertide proper noun
The whole season from Easter Day onward, used mainly in religious writing.
Easter egg noun
A decorated or chocolate egg given at Easter.

Commonly confused: Easter Day or Easter? Easter Day or Good Friday?

Easter Day vs Easter

Easter is the whole festival and season, while Easter Day is only the Sunday itself.

Easter Day vs Good Friday

Good Friday is the Friday two days before Easter Day, when Christians remember the death of Jesus.

Practice

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