If you’re scratching your head trying to remember exactly when you were hunting for eggs a few years back, you aren't alone. Calendars are weird. Dates shift. Honestly, keeping track of moving holidays is a bit of a nightmare unless you have a math degree or a very reliable digital assistant. So, let’s get right to the point: What day was Easter in 2022?
Easter Sunday fell on April 17, 2022.
It was a mid-April celebration, tucked right into that sweet spot of spring where the blossoms are usually out but the pollen hasn't quite tried to kill us all yet. But knowing the date is only half the story. Why that specific Sunday? Why not the week before? To understand the timing of Easter in 2022, you have to look at a mix of ancient astronomy, church history, and a very specific full moon that dictates when we buy chocolate bunnies.
The "Pink Moon" and the Calculation of Easter 2022
You’ve probably heard people complain about how Easter "moves around." It's a "moveable feast." Unlike Christmas, which is anchored to December 25th regardless of whether it’s a Tuesday or a Saturday, Easter is tied to the lunar cycle. Specifically, the Council of Nicaea back in A.D. 325 decided that Easter should be observed on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox.
In 2022, the spring equinox happened on March 20. The first full moon after that—often called the Paschal Full Moon—showed up on Saturday, April 16.
Because the moon hit its peak on a Saturday, the very next day, Sunday, April 17, became Easter. It was almost a "late" Easter, considering the holiday can fall anywhere between March 22 and April 25. If that full moon had happened just a few days earlier, we would have been celebrating in March.
Wait. It gets more complicated.
There is also the distinction between Western Christianity (using the Gregorian calendar) and Eastern Orthodox Christianity (using the Julian calendar). While most of the U.S. and Europe were celebrating on April 17, the Orthodox Easter in 2022 didn't happen until a week later, on April 24. This happens because the Julian calendar tracks the equinox differently, and they have a rule that Easter cannot precede or coincide with Passover. It’s a whole thing.
What Was the World Like on April 17, 2022?
Context matters. When we look back at what day Easter was in 2022, we aren't just looking at a square on a calendar. We’re looking at a specific moment in time.
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By mid-April 2022, the world was in a strange transition. We were emerging from the heaviest shadows of the COVID-19 pandemic. People were traveling again. Airports were chaotic. Families were finally gathering without the intense anxiety of the previous two years. According to travel data from the TSA, nearly 2.3 million people passed through checkpoints on the Thursday before Easter Sunday that year. That was a massive jump compared to 2021.
There was also a lot of heavy stuff happening. The war in Ukraine had been raging for about two months. On Easter Sunday, Pope Francis used his "Urbi et Orbi" address to call for peace, specifically mentioning the "senseless" conflict. It wasn't just a day for eggs and ham; it was a day of significant global tension and prayer for millions.
Weather Patterns on Easter Sunday
Weather is the ultimate wild card for Easter. If you lived in the Northeast U.S. in 2022, you probably remember a bit of a chill. In places like New York and Boston, temperatures hovered in the 50s. Not exactly beach weather.
Meanwhile, parts of the Midwest were dealing with the typical "April showers" that were more like "April deluges." It’s funny how a date like April 17 can feel like the peak of spring in Georgia but still feel like late winter in Minnesota. That year, the "Pink Moon" (the name for April's full moon) didn't actually look pink, but the clear skies in many parts of the country made for a spectacular view the night before the holiday.
The Business of the Bunny: 2022 Spending
People spend an absurd amount of money on Easter. In 2022, the National Retail Federation (NRF) reported that consumers were expected to spend an average of about $170 per person on the holiday. Total spending hit roughly $20.8 billion.
Where did that money go?
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- Candy. Obviously.
- Food for the big Sunday brunch or dinner.
- Gifts and clothing (the "Easter Sunday best").
Interestingly, 2022 saw a massive spike in the price of eggs. Avian flu was starting to rip through poultry farms, and by the time people were trying to dye their hard-boiled eggs for April 17, they were noticing the "egg-flation" at the grocery store. Some families actually switched to plastic eggs entirely because the real ones were becoming a luxury item.
The Weird Math Behind the Date
Let's nerd out for a second. If you want to calculate Easter yourself without Googling it, you have to use something called Computus. It’s an algorithm.
The moon doesn't orbit the Earth in a perfect 30-day cycle; it’s about 29.5 days. This means the lunar calendar and the solar calendar are constantly out of sync. This is why Easter jumped from April 4 in 2021 to April 17 in 2022, and then doubled back to April 9 in 2023.
It’s a bit like a cosmic game of tag. The sun sets the "start line" (the equinox), and then we wait for the moon to cross it. Once the moon crosses, we wait for the next Sunday. In 2022, the moon was a bit of a slow-poke, taking nearly a month after the equinox to hit its full phase.
Significant Events Surrounding April 17, 2022
A lot was happening in pop culture and news during that specific week.
- Coachella: The first weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was happening simultaneously with Easter. While half the country was in church, the other half was in the desert watching Harry Styles and Billie Eilish.
- The Box Office: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore had just opened in theaters. It topped the box office that Easter weekend, though it didn't perform nearly as well as the studio hoped.
- Space News: A SpaceX Crew Dragon was docked at the International Space Station. For the astronauts up there, "Easter" was just another day of research, though they usually get a special meal sent up.
Why Do We Still Care About the Exact Date?
You might be asking why anyone bothers to look up what day Easter was in 2022. Usually, it’s for record-keeping or nostalgia. Maybe you’re trying to figure out how old a kid was in a specific photo. Maybe you’re an event planner looking at historical trends. Or maybe you’re just trying to settle a bet.
Whatever the reason, the date of April 17, 2022, represents a specific pivot point in the 2020s. It was the "first real Easter" for many after the lockdowns. It was a day when the world felt like it was trying to find its footing again, even while grappling with new economic and political realities.
Actionable Steps for Future Planning
Since Easter is a moving target, you can't just assume it’ll be around the same time next year. If you're a planner, here is how you handle the "Moveable Feast" chaos:
- Check the Paschal Moon: If you want to be a pro, look up the first full moon after March 21. Easter will always be the Sunday immediately following that moon.
- Budget for "Egg-flation": As we saw in 2022, holiday staples can fluctuate wildly in price. Buy your non-perishables (like plastic eggs or decorations) in the clearance aisle the year before.
- Book Travel Early: Because Easter often aligns with Spring Break, April 17, 2022, saw some of the highest airfares of the year. If the date is in mid-April, expect higher prices than a late-March Easter.
- Sync Your Calendars: Most digital calendars (Google, Outlook) have a "Holidays" subscription. Turn it on. It saves you from having to remember the Council of Nicaea's math every single year.
Easter 2022 was a day of transition. It was a Sunday that brought people back together under a "Pink Moon," amidst a world that was still very much in flux. Whether you spent it at Coachella, at a church service, or just hiding eggs in the backyard, April 17 was the day the world paused to mark the arrival of spring.
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Key Takeaway Table: Easter 2022 At a Glance
- The Date: April 17, 2022
- Moon Phase: Full Moon (Paschal Full Moon) on April 16
- Orthodox Date: April 24, 2022
- Previous Year: April 4, 2021
- Following Year: April 9, 2023
- US Retail Spending: ~$20.8 Billion
To prepare for future holidays, always verify the date against the lunar calendar rather than assuming it follows the previous year's pattern. Mapping out the "Moveable Feasts" at the start of the year ensures that travel bookings and family gatherings don't clash with the erratic schedule of the lunar cycle.