Easter
Find information about the origins, traditions and dates of Easter, as well as events, activities and library resources.
Easter is a public holiday and is celebrated on a different date every year. In Christian tradition it commemorates the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ who was crucified on Good Friday and rose from the dead on Easter Sunday.
When is Easter?
Easter is celebrated on a different date every year. The date that it falls on is the Sunday following the first full moon after the March equinox. In New Zealand the Easter public holidays are on Good Friday and Easter Monday.
In 2025 Easter was celebrated on Sunday 20 April. Good Friday is 18 April and Easter Monday is 21 April.
Public Holidays - future dates
New Zealand public holiday information from the Department of Labour.
For kids
Easter traditions
We get the name Easter and some of our traditions from the pagan festival Eostre. Rabbits and hares were special to this festival and that is why we have the Easter Bunny today. The Easter Bunny visits children and leaves yummy Easter treats for them.
We give eggs at Easter because during Lent, a Christian festival before Easter, people weren’t meant to eat them. So once Lent was finished, and Easter started, people gave each other decorated eggs to celebrate. Now we mostly have chocolate eggs instead of decorated real eggs.
Easter is a time when you might enjoy hunting for Easter eggs, having a family Easter dinner, eating hot cross buns or going to a special Church service.
Mr. Bunny’s Chocolate Factory
University students dressed as Easter Bunnies
An Easter music egg-stravaganza!
#LibraryFromHome: All about Easter
Easter on the web
- Catholic Encyclopedia: Lent - Describes the traditional forty days of fasting prior to Easter.
- Easter events in Canterbury - From Eventfinda
- Easter crafts projects - From allcrafts.net
- Easter by Martha Stewart - Decorated eggs, menus and more.
- How Easter works - Describes the religious and cultural origins of the Easter holiday as well as symbols such as Easter eggs, the Easter bunny and hot cross buns.
For kids
- Britannica Library Kids - Find some more information about Easter with this page from the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Includes an image gallery.
Access this with your library card number and PIN, or at our libraries. - Celebrate Easter - Learn the meanings and traditions of Easter with this book from National Geographic Kids. We also have this book available at our Libraries.
Access this with your library card number and PIN, or at our libraries. - Crayola Easter Crafts - The Crayola site has HEAPS of cool Easter Crafts for you to print, colour and make.
- Easter arts and crafts - From Kiwifamilies.co.nz
- Easter Colouring In - Print out and colour one of these great Easter colouring in pictures, drawn by Elizabeth O. Dulemba, the illustrator who lets us use her amazing colouring in pictures at our Storytimes.
- Easter feasts and fun - From kidspot.co.nz
- Hoppy Easter - Easter stories, animations, and pictures to colour from Holidays.net.
Images
- Find images of local Easter events and celebrations on Canterbury Stories
- Images of Easter on DigitalNZ.
