What Is Easter Monday?

Easter Monday commemorates the day following the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. Across the globe, many Christians observe the joyous holiday, which dates back more than 1,600 years. In several countries, Easter Monday is even a public holiday.

Although the earliest recorded celebration of Easter dates back to the second century, it wasn’t until the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325 that Christian leaders decreed that Easter should be observed on the first Sunday after the first full moon that follows the spring equinox. By the third or fourth century, Christians had begun to extend the celebration of Easter into eight days, known as the “Octave of Easter,” during which Masses and feasts were held every day. This period of extended celebration and worship, which continues among some Christian traditions today, spans Easter Sunday through the following Sunday (or Second Sunday of Easter). The Monday after Easter became known as Easter Monday.

For Christians, Easter Monday continues the commemoration of Jesus’ resurrection, an event that is essential to the core beliefs of Christianity. According to the New Testament, God’s resurrection of Jesus from the dead after his crucifixion gives hope to believers that they too can be redeemed through their faith and find eternal salvation.

Easter Monday is known by various names, including Bright Monday, Renewal Monday, Little Easter and Monday of the Angel. Several Polish American communities in the United States observe Easter Monday as Dyngus Day. This traditional celebration after the restrictions of Lent are lifted includes eating, drinking, dancing (often to polka music) and practicing a unique custom in which people sprinkle water on their love interest to gain their crush’s attention. Historically, only men and boys performed this tradition toward women and girls.

While observing the Octave of Easter is now less widespread outside of the Catholic Church, Easter Monday remains a public holiday in many countries around the world, including the United Kingdom (outside of Scotland), Ireland, Poland, Germany, Nigeria, France, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. In addition to a day of rest in these countries, Easter Monday offers another opportunity to celebrate the end of Lent, which traditionally includes fasting and other restrictive practices. Common activities on Easter Monday include family outings and egg hunts as well as picnics or other feasts.

The United States does not observe Easter Monday as a federal holiday. However, the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, where children are invited to roll their eggs on the grounds of the U.S. president’s residence, has been held on the Monday after Easter since the late 1870s. In North Carolina, Easter Monday was a legal holiday for more than 50 years until 1988, after legislators amended the law to observe Good Friday instead.