The Easter Octave is the eight days from Easter Sunday to the Second Sunday of Easter, celebrated as one long day of Easter joy. In 2027 it runs from Sunday, March 28, to Sunday, April 4 (Divine Mercy Sunday). Every day of the Octave is celebrated as a solemnity: the Gloria is sung at Mass, the Easter sequence may be sung, and the dismissal ends with a double Alleluia.
The Easter Octave 2027, day by day
| Day | 2027 date | Gospel at Mass |
|---|---|---|
| Easter Sunday | March 28 | John 20:1–9 (the empty tomb) |
| Monday within the Octave | March 29 | Matthew 28:8–15 (the women meet the risen Jesus) |
| Tuesday | March 30 | John 20:11–18 (Mary Magdalene: “I have seen the Lord”) |
| Wednesday | March 31 | Luke 24:13–35 (the disciples on the road to Emmaus) |
| Thursday | April 1 | Luke 24:35–48 (Jesus eats with the apostles) |
| Friday | April 2 | John 21:1–14 (the miraculous catch of fish) |
| Saturday | April 3 | Mark 16:9–15 (“Go into the whole world”) |
| Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday) | April 4 | John 20:19–31 (Thomas) |
Each day the Church reads a different appearance of the risen Lord, as if living again the first week after the Resurrection.
What is an octave?
An octave is an eight-day celebration of a great feast. Since ancient times the Church has extended her greatest feasts over eight days, the eighth day (the octave day) closing the celebration. Today the Roman calendar keeps only two octaves: Easter and Christmas. Of the two, the Easter Octave has the higher rank: no other celebration can replace any of its days.
In the early Church, those baptized at the Easter Vigil wore their white baptismal garments all week and received special instruction from the bishop. The Second Sunday of Easter was once called Dominica in albis, “Sunday in white,” because that day they put the white garments away.
Why Friday in the Octave is not a day of abstinence
Because every day of the Easter Octave is a solemnity, the Friday within the Octave (April 2, 2027) is not a day of abstinence: Catholics may eat meat. The law of Friday penance does not apply on solemnities (Code of Canon Law, canon 1251).
The Annunciation in 2027
When the Solemnity of the Annunciation (March 25) falls in Holy Week or the Easter Octave, it is moved to the Monday after the Second Sunday of Easter. In 2027, March 25 is Holy Thursday, so the Annunciation is celebrated on Monday, April 5, 2027.
Prayers for the Easter Octave
Pray the Regina Caeli at morning, noon and evening instead of the Angelus; see the Regina Caeli.
A daily prayer for the Easter Octave, written for this page:
Risen Lord Jesus, during these eight days your Church rejoices as on a single day.
As you appeared to Mary Magdalene, to the disciples on the road and to Thomas,
show yourself to me in your word, in the breaking of the bread and in my neighbor.
Let the joy of Easter grow in my heart this week
and remain with me all the days of my life. Alleluia! Amen.
On Easter Wednesday, read the story of Emmaus and pray, as the two disciples did: “Stay with us, because it is towards evening” (Luke 24:29).
Customs for the Easter Octave
- Keep celebrating. Easter is not over on Monday: keep the decorations, flowers and festive meals all week.
- Easter Monday: visit family and friends; in some countries it is a public holiday, sometimes with an “Emmaus walk.”
- Go to Mass during the week if you can; the daily Gospels of the Octave are among the most beautiful of the year.
- Go to confession in preparation for Divine Mercy Sunday.
- Pray the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary; see the Glorious Mysteries.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Easter Octave 2027?
From Easter Sunday, March 28, 2027, to the Second Sunday of Easter, April 4, 2027.
Can Catholics eat meat on the Friday after Easter?
Yes. The Friday within the Easter Octave is a solemnity, so the law of abstinence does not apply.
Is the Easter Octave the same as the Easter season?
No. The Octave is the first eight days; the Easter season lasts fifty days, until Pentecost (May 16, 2027).
Are the days of the Easter Octave holy days of obligation?
No, only the Sundays. But each day is celebrated as a solemnity, and the faithful are encouraged to attend Mass.
More Easter pages
- Victimae Paschali Laudes
- Divine Mercy Novena
- Easter 2027
- Catholic Easter prayers
- Divine Mercy Sunday
- The Easter Vigil
- Liturgical calendar 2026–2027
Texts and sources
- Reading references follow the Lectionary for Mass, the Octave of Easter. Luke 24:29 quoted from the Douay-Rheims Bible.
- Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, nos. 24 and 60; the Table of Liturgical Days.
- Code of Canon Law, canon 1251.
- The prayer was written for this page.