--- title: "Easter 2027: OCU names the exact date of Bright Resurrection and the start of Great Lent" description: "The Orthodox Church of Ukraine has set the date of Easter for 2027 — May 2 — and the start of Great Lent — March 15. We explain how this moveable feast is calculated using the ancient method." date: 2026-09-23T10:38:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/easter-2027-ocu-date-great-lent tags: [easter-2027, pcu, orthodox-church, easter-date, great-fast] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Easter 2027: OCU names the exact date of Bright Resurrection and the start of Great Lent ![Easter basket with dyed eggs, paska and a lit candle in anticipation of the Resurrection date announced by the PCU](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/23/paskha-2027-data-pcu/paskha-2027-data-pcu-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - In 2027, the OCU will celebrate the Bright Resurrection of Christ on Sunday, May 2. - Great Lent will begin on March 15, 2027, and last until May 1 (Saturday). - The date of Easter is calculated using the “computus” method, taking into account the lunar and solar calendars. - The divergence of dates between Catholics and Orthodox is due to different calendars (a 13-day shift). Easter does not have a fixed place in the calendar: its date changes from year to year, so believers who begin preparing for the holiday in advance often wonder exactly which day it falls on in the coming year. According to the press service of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), in 2027 the Bright Resurrection of Christ will be celebrated on Sunday, May 2, while Great Lent — the so-called “feast of feasts” — will begin on March 15 and last until May 1 (Saturday), that is, until the eve of the holiday itself. ### How the date is calculated: the ancient “computus” method The Bright Resurrection of Christ is a “moveable” feast, and its date is calculated individually each year using a special ancient method known as “computus.” Its key feature is the simultaneous accounting of both lunar and solar calendar indicators. The basic rule by which the date is determined is universal: the First Ecumenical Council in 325 AD decreed that all Christians should celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the day of the spring equinox (conventionally March 21). It is to this “formula” that the ancient Paschal table — the method for calculating the date of Easter — was historically tied. ### Why Catholic and Orthodox dates often differ As explained by the OCU, as early as the second century after the birth of Christ, disputes among Christians began to arise over the exact date of the celebration. Later, when Christianity split, “discrepancies” emerged due to the different calendars used by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. This led to a difference in calculating the spring equinox — because of the 13-day gap between the calendars. As a result, the dates of Easter for Orthodox and Catholics often diverge due to the use of different Paschal tables. Since 2023, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine has switched to the new Julian calendar, which is taken into account when determining the date of the holiday. ### Contradictory data The same OCU materials contain the claim that the basic date under the common formula “coincides for believers who follow both the “new” (new Julian) and the “old” (Julian) church calendars.” At first glance, this contradicts the thesis about the divergence of dates between denominations. However, the inconsistency is only apparent: in the first case, the discussion concerns a single historical principle (the common “formula” of the First Ecumenical Council), while in the second — a practical calculation, where different calendar systems yield a different position of the spring equinox and, consequently, different specific dates. In other words, the principle is one, but the calculation result depends on the calendar used by a given Church. ### Practical guidelines for believers in 2027 The final chronology for OCU parishioners looks like this: Great Lent begins on March 15, 2027, ends on May 1 (Saturday), and the Bright Resurrection of Christ itself is celebrated on Sunday, May 2, 2027. These dates allow for planning preparations for the holiday in advance. In preparing this material, data from the OCU press service as well as reference sources on the method of calculating the Paschal date were used. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [When is Easter in Ukraine in 2027: the exact date](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/koli-velikden-ukrayini-2027-rotsi-tochna-1790158747.html) - Основной источник: дата Пасхи ПЦУ 2 мая 2027, начало Великого поста 15 марта, методика computus, переход ПЦУ на новоюлианский календарь с 2023 года. - [Easter in 2027: when to celebrate and how the date is determined](https://ua.news/ru/ukraine/velikden-u-2027-rotsi-koli-sviatkuvati-ta-iak-viznachaietsia-data) - Подтверждено по источнику ua.news - [State holidays of Ukraine in 2027: all key dates by month](https://www.unian.net/lite/holidays/kalendar-prazdnikov-2027-v-ukraine-vse-vazhnye-gosudarstvennye-daty-13491813.html) - Подтверждено по источнику unian.net - [How the date of Easter is calculated and why it differs each year](https://life.ru/p/1913033) - Контекст по методике расчета подвижной даты Пасхи и причине ежегодного изменения. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: When is Easter in 2027 according to the OCU calendar? **A:** The Orthodox Church of Ukraine will celebrate the Bright Resurrection of Christ on Sunday, May 2, 2027. ### Q: When does Great Lent begin in 2027? **A:** Great Lent will begin on March 15, 2027, and last until May 1 (Saturday), that is, until the eve of Easter. ### Q: Why is the date of Easter different every year? **A:** Easter is a moveable feast; its date is calculated each year using the “computus” method as the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox, taking into account the lunar and solar calendars.