Easter and Spring Religious Holidays
Easter Sunday, Passover, and related spring religious holidays usually alternate years between co-parents. Plans should name the specific dates: 'Easter Sunday' is not the same as 'Easter weekend.'
by The CoreParent Co-Founders · Last updated
In short
Most families alternate Easter Sunday by year, or simply let it follow the regular weekend. When parents observe different traditions, many plans give each parent their own holidays instead.
When it falls
Easter moves every year. In Western churches it is the first Sunday after the church's spring full moon, so it always falls between March 22 and April 25. Orthodox Easter is either the same day or one to five weeks later. Passover moves too: it begins on 15 Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, usually in late March or April. Write "Easter Sunday" with times, not a fixed date.
Dates, 2026 to 2028
- Easter Sunday: Sunday, April 5, 2026
- Easter Sunday: Sunday, March 28, 2027
- Easter Sunday: Sunday, April 16, 2028
Typical arrangements
Parent A takes even years, Parent B takes odd years. Full day (morning through evening). Covers church, egg hunts, and holiday meal.
Whoever has the children the weekend of Easter keeps them through the Sunday. No special swap. Works for families with stable alternating weekends.
Sample plan wording
Example wording to adapt, not legal advice. Use your own names, times, and places, and check what is required where you live.
Alternating Easter Sunday
In even-numbered years, Parent A has the children from 6:00 p.m. on the Saturday before Easter until 6:00 p.m. on Easter Sunday. In odd-numbered years, Parent B has the same time. This holiday time takes the place of the regular schedule.
Easter follows the regular weekend
Easter follows the regular parenting schedule. The parent who does not have the children that weekend may have them from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Easter Sunday if both parents agree in writing a week ahead.
Each parent's own holidays
Parent A has the children each year on Easter Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Parent B has the children each year from 3:00 p.m. on the day of the first Passover Seder until 10:00 a.m. the morning after the second Seder.
What to decide in advance
- Which years each parent has it. Even and odd years with a name next to each.
- What "Easter" covers. Sunday only, Saturday night through Sunday, or the long weekend with Good Friday, with exact times.
- Services and traditions. If a church service, sunrise service, or family egg hunt matters, put its time in the plan.
- Spring break overlap. Some years Easter falls inside spring break. Say which schedule wins.
- Different traditions. If you observe different holidays, list each parent's days by name, such as Easter, Orthodox Easter, or Passover.
- Pickup and drop-off. Say where and who drives. If there is a protection order, its terms on exchanges come first, and handoffs can happen at a safe public place or through a trusted third party.
By age
General guidance only. Every child is different, and what fits can change as they grow.
- Under 5: Egg hunts and baskets are the highlight. A morning and afternoon split can give one parent the hunt and the other the holiday meal.
- Ages 5 to 12: Kids notice traditions and who's at the table. Keep baskets and gifts roughly even between homes.
- Teens: Teens may want a say in services or plans with friends. Listen, and keep the schedule clear.
Common conflict scenarios
Many plans give each parent their own main religious holidays (Easter to the parent who observes Easter, Passover to the parent who observes Passover). Children join each parent's observance on those days, which settles most annual friction.
There's no default answer: some plans let the spring break schedule win, others carve out Easter Sunday. Spell out the priority order.
Frequently asked questions
Who gets Easter if it isn't in our plan?
It usually just follows the regular schedule, so it goes to whoever has that weekend. If that leaves one parent without Easter year after year, consider adding it as an alternating holiday.
What if Easter falls on the other parent's weekend?
Generally, if your plan lists Easter, the holiday schedule overrides the regular rotation for those hours, then the regular weekend resumes.
Does "Easter" cover Orthodox Easter or Passover?
Not unless the plan says so. Orthodox Easter and Passover have their own dates, so list them by name if they matter to your family.
What if spring break includes Easter?
Decide which wins. Some plans let the spring break parent keep the whole week; others carve out Easter Sunday for the parent who has Easter that year.
Put it in your plan and on your calendar
In CoreParent's plan builder, Easter is one of the common holidays: set it to alternate by even and odd years, split, or always with one parent, and the calendar works out the date each year. Passover and Orthodox Easter can be added from the suggested holidays, with their dates and times in the holiday notes. On your calendar, a holiday the plan gives to one parent takes the place of the regular rotation that day. Share it with your co-parent, or keep it to yourself.
Other holiday schedules
Spring break gives each parent a realistic window for family travel. Most parenting plans alternate years rather than splitting the week, because travel makes halves hard.
ReadMany plans give Mother's Day to the children's mother and Father's Day to their father, whatever the regular schedule says. The real decisions are the times, what happens when the day lands on the other parent's weekend, and how to handle families where the labels don't fit.
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