Is Easter a national holiday?

No, Easter isn’t a national holiday in the United States.

Easter in the U.S.

Easter, which falls on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the March equinox, celebrates Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead three days after his crucifixion. While primarily a Christian holiday, like Christmas, it has also become a cultural celebration centered around brightly decorated eggs, chocolate, scavenger hunts, and rabbits.

While the following day, Easter Monday—also known as “Bright Monday” or “Renewal Monday”—is a public holiday throughout most of the world, this isn’t the case in the United States. It was a public holiday in North Carolina from 1935 to 1987. A lot of public schools and universities are closed on Easter Monday, and often Good Friday too, falling under the umbrella of spring break.

How the World Celebrates Easter

Easter Monday is a public holiday in 116 nations throughout the world, including Australia, Austria, Germany, Egypt, Ireland, United Kingdom, Spain, Ghana, Fiji, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Kenya, Poland, Russia, and South Africa. However, not all observations are directly centered around the Christian tradition. In Ireland, it’s a day of remembrance for the men and women who died during the Easter Rising in 1916. In Egypt, the ancient festival of Sham El Nissem (literally meaning “smelling of the breeze”) falls on the same day, marking the beginning of spring.

Some nations even recognize Easter Tuesday, including Cyprus, a national bank holiday; New Zealand, a mandatory holiday in the public education sector, and the Australian island state of Tasmania, a legal holiday for some workers.

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