Orthodox Easter Monday 2024 in Australia

Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday, which celebrates Jesus’ resurrection, according to Christian belief. Many Orthodox Christian churches in Australia often observe Easter Monday at a later date than the Easter Monday date observed by many western churches. The day is also known as Bright Monday.

Is Orthodox Easter Monday a Public Holiday?

Although Orthodox Easter Monday is not a public holiday, businesses and schools may be closed because it falls on the same date as May Day in 2024, which is a public holiday in Northern Territory.

What Do People Do?

Bright Monday is a day of reflection for many Orthodox Christians in Australia. Many people reflect on the events that occurred during Holy Week and on Easter Sunday. Easter Monday is a day to finish leftover Easter meals that were not eaten the day before. Some Orthodox Christian churches in Australia have Bright Monday liturgies and some of these liturgies are held early in the morning.

Public Life

The Orthodox Christian date for Easter Monday is not a federal public holiday in Australia.

Background

Many Orthodox churches base their Easter date on the Julian calendar, which differs from the Gregorian calendar that is used by many western countries. Therefore the Orthodox Easter period often (but not always) occurs at a different date compared with the Easter date observed by many western churches, which falls after the time of the March equinox.

There are different types of Orthodox churches in Australia, including the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Greek Orthodox Church. There are many Greek Orthodox Christians in Australia. The federal government’s 2006 census recorded that there were 109,980 Greece-born people in Australia, with the largest numbers in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and Queensland. The census also showed that 100,460 Greece-born Australians are of the Eastern Orthodox faith.

Symbols

Easter eggs are often dyed red to symbolize the Jesus Christ’s blood. It was an important symbol connected with spring fertility rituals in many early civilizations. Another important symbol associated with Easter is the lamb. It is often depicted with a banner that bears a cross, and it is known as the Agnus Dei, meaning "Lamb of God" in Latin.

About Orthodox Easter Monday in Other Countries

While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please let us know.