Easter Monday

Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday and forms part of the Christian Easter season, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Its religious meaning is connected with the continuing joy of Easter and, in some traditions, with the biblical account of the risen Christ appearing to his disciples on the road to Emmaus. Historically, the day belonged to the wider Easter octave, a period of special observance extending through the week after Easter Day.

In the United Kingdom, Easter Monday developed into a secular spring holiday as well as a Christian observance. The Bank Holidays Act of 1871 helped establish the modern pattern of public holidays, and Easter Monday became a recognised bank holiday in England, Wales and Ireland; it remains a bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has different arrangements: Easter Monday is not generally one of its nationwide bank holidays, although individual employers, schools, local authorities and businesses may observe it. In 2026, Easter Monday falls on 6 April.

Modern Easter Monday celebrations in the UK commonly combine religious observance, family gatherings and outdoor leisure. Many people attend church services, visit relatives, take countryside walks or enjoy day trips during the spring school holiday. Easter egg hunts, egg-rolling contests and community fairs are popular activities, while chocolate eggs, hot cross buns and other seasonal treats often remain part of the holiday’s food traditions. In some places, traditional sporting events, parades and local festivals are also held over the long Easter weekend.

There is no single formal national greeting for Easter Monday, but people commonly say “Happy Easter” or “Happy Easter Monday.” Families may exchange chocolate eggs and other gifts, and some communities preserve regional customs such as egg rolling down grassy slopes or public Easter games. Because the date is a bank holiday in much of the UK, reduced opening hours and altered public-transport schedules are common, although major visitor attractions and retail centres often organise special Easter programmes.