When Is Holy Week in 2025? A Timeline of Palm Sunday to Easter

Holy Week is the week leading up to Easter; it always starts on Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter. 

Here are the dates for Holy Week in 2025: Sunday, April 13 - Saturday, April 19. Easter is on April 20. 

The dates of Holy Week are determined based on the date of Easter Sunday, which follows the lunar calendar. Easter Sunday is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox (March 21). This means Easter can fall anywhere between March 22 and April 25 each year.

Because Easter is based on the lunar cycle, its date shifts each year, which also shifts the entire Lenten season (beginning with Ash Wednesday, 46 days before Easter). This method of calculation was established by the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325, ensuring that all Christians celebrated Easter in unison.

In summary, the date of Holy Week is determined by the moon, making it a movable feast that changes yearly but always falls within March or April.

Get your FREE 8-Day Prayer and Scripture Guide - Praying Through the Holy Week HERE. Print your own copy for a beautiful daily devotional leading up to Easter.

Let's look at the importance and meaning of each day of the Holy Week.

What Is Palm Sunday?

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, the day we celebrate Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem as Savior and King. Picture the scene—crowds lining the streets, waving palm branches, and laying their cloaks on the road, honoring Him like royalty. With excitement and hope, they shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 21:9).

Yet, just days later, the same city would call for His crucifixion. Palm Sunday is a powerful reminder that Jesus came not to claim an earthly throne, but to bring salvation through the cross.

Today, churches around the world celebrate Palm Sunday with special services, reading the Gospel account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Many congregations distribute palm branches, symbolizing the ones laid before Jesus, and some hold processions to reenact the moment of His arrival. Worship is often filled with songs of praise, echoing the cries of “Hosanna!” as believers prepare their hearts for the journey through Holy Week.

Read More: What is the Meaning of Palm Sunday?

What Is Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednesday)?

We don’t know much about what happens on Holy Wednesday, but it was likely a day of quiet preparation. Jesus and His disciples were in Jerusalem, getting ready for the Passover, which would take place just two days later. It was a solemn and significant time—Jesus knew what was ahead, yet He remained faithful to His mission.

This day is sometimes called Spy Wednesday because it marks the moment when Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ own disciples, made the fateful decision to betray Him. In exchange for thirty pieces of silver, Judas went to the chief priests and religious leaders, offering to hand Jesus over at the right opportunity. His betrayal was done in secret, like a spy working from within, and it set in motion the events that would lead to Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion.

Though it is a dark moment in Holy Week, Spy Wednesday reminds us of the weight of sin and the price of betrayal—but even more, it points us to Jesus’ unwavering love and sacrifice. He knew what was coming, yet He willingly walked the path to the cross, all for our redemption.

Read more: Why is It Called Spy Wednesday?

What Is Maundy Thursday?

Maundy Thursday of the Holy Week, the Thursday before Easter, marks the day Jesus shared His final Passover meal with His disciples. This was no ordinary gathering—it was during this meal that Jesus humbly washed His disciples' feet, demonstrating servant-hearted love and teaching them to do the same for one another.

The name Maundy Thursday comes from the Latin word mandatum, meaning "command," referring to Christ’s instruction to His followers. On this night, He gave them a powerful new commandment: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another” (John 13:34).

In the evening, Jesus celebrated Passover, the remembrance of Israel's miraculous exodus from Egypt, with a special meal called the Seder.  This evening also marks the institution of the Lord’s Supper, as Jesus broke bread and shared the cup, foreshadowing His sacrifice on the cross. As we reflect on Maundy Thursday, we remember not only His love and humility but also His call for us to serve and love others in the same way.

Read more: What Does Maundy Thursday Mean?

What Is Good Friday?

For Christians, Good Friday is one of the most significant days not just of the Holy Week but of the year, marking the most momentous weekend in history. Since the day Jesus died and rose again, believers have proclaimed His crucifixion and resurrection as the defining turning point for all creation.

The apostle Paul emphasized its importance, writing, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). On Good Friday, we remember the day Jesus willingly suffered and died on the cross, offering Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins (1 John 1:10). His death was not a defeat but a fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan—a moment of unimaginable love and grace.

Read more: What is Good Friday and Why is it Called Good?

What Is Holy Saturday?

Holy Saturday is mentioned in each of the Gospels, but Luke provides insight into the significance of this day in relation to Jewish law. In Luke 23:55-56, we read:

“As His body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where His body was placed. Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint His body. But by the time they were finished, the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.”

This verse describes the stillness of Holy Saturday—a day of waiting, mourning, and obedience. While Jesus’ followers longed to honor Him by preparing His body, they also observed the Sabbath, resting as the law required. It was a day of uncertainty and grief, yet behind the scenes, God’s redemptive plan was already unfolding. Holy Saturday serves as a bridge between the sorrow of Good Friday and the triumph of Easter, reminding us that even in the silence, God is at work.

Read more: What is Holy Saturday?

What Is Easter?

Easter is the final day of the Holy Week and is a very significant date within Christianity and is the foundation of the Christian faith. Jesus, the Son of God, fulfilled prophecy and through his death, has given the gift of eternal life in heaven to those who believe in his death and resurrection.  Churches around the world honor this sacred day in various ways, often beginning with Easter Sunday services filled with worship, Scripture readings, and messages of hope. Read the entire biblical account of Resurrection Day in Matthew 28, Mark 16, and Luke 24 and more Easter Bible verses at BibleStudyTools.com."

Read more: What is the Meaning of Easter?

Holy Week Prayers
You can read a prayer for each day of Holy Week here, starting with a Psalm Sunday Prayer.

A Prayer to Start the Holy Week

Matthew 21:1-11; Psalm 118:1-2; Psalm 118:19-29

"Lord God, I give you thanks, for you are good, and your mercy is endless. Here I stand, at the start of this holy week, This week in which your church remembers Jesus’ passion and death, And I am distracted by many things. Turn my eyes now to the One who comes in your name The one who opens the gates of righteousness The one who answers when we call. I bless you, Lord, for shining your light upon me, And for sending your son to us, in human frailty. To walk the road we walk. Open my eyes that I may see him coming, And may praise him with a pure heart. And may walk in the way of his suffering, And share also in his resurrection. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen." -Maria Miriam

For more on the history of the holy week with Jewish calendar dates, visit: Holy Week Timeline

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/RomoloTavani

This article is part of our larger Holy Week and Easter resource library centered around the events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ!

What is Lent? It's Meaning and Why We Celebrate
When is Lent? When Does Lent Start and End?
What is the Meaning Ash Wednesday?
What is Holy Week? 
What Is the Meaning of Palm Sunday?

What is the Meaning of Holy Monday?
What is Maundy Thursday?
What Is Good Friday and Why is it Good?
Good Friday Prayer
What Does Holy Saturday Mean?

What Is the Easter?
Easter Prayers
Powerful Facts About the Cross of Jesus

Originally published March 10, 2020.