Orthodox Easter is celebrated by many countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and beyond, wherever Eastern Orthodox or some Oriental Orthodox communities are present. The date usually falls on the Sunday following the Julian calendar, which often places Orthodox Easter a week (or sometimes two) after Western Easter. Here are the key regions and representative countries that observe Orthodox Easter:
- Southeast Europe and the Balkans: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Moldova, and sometimes parts of Croatia.
- Eastern Europe and the Caucasus: Belarus, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, and parts of the Baltic states with Orthodox populations.
- Central and adjacent regions: Moldova, Armenia (some churches observe Easter on a variant schedule), and parts of the Middle East.
- Africa and the Middle East with Oriental Orthodox support: Ethiopia (Coptic Orthodox tradition) and other Oriental Orthodox communities in Lebanon and Egypt.
Notes to keep in mind:
- Some countries have a mix of calendars and may celebrate with different dates within the same country depending on religious tradition and church jurisdiction.
- The exact local date can vary by parish, especially in countries with multiple Orthodox jurisdictions or in places with significant diaspora communities.
If you’d like, I can provide a country-by-country list for 2026 with the exact dates and typical rituals observed in each place.
Sources
Orthodox Christians around the world are preparing for Easter on Sunday, with the ...
news.tvb.comOn Sunday, April 24 people around the world will celebrate Orthodox Easter, including in countries such as: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Lebanon, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Sudan, Syria and Ukraine. Orthodox Easter is celebrated later than most of the Western world, in keeping with the Eastern Christian church’s calendar. The holiday is celebrated locally and by those in our SCU community, as well.
www.scu.eduRead about Orthodox Easter Day around the world in 2026. Easter is the most significant religious holiday for the world's roughly 300 million Orthodox Christians. In the bible, it is the day when Mary Magdalene found that an empty tomb in the cave in which Jesus has been placed after his crucifixion.
www.officeholidays.comHere is a list of countries that celebrate Easter (Orthodox Pascha) on Sunday 12 April 2026. These primarily follow the Julian calendar used by Eastern Orthodox and some Oriental Orthodox churches. Albania (Orthodox communities): Orthodox areas are holding midnight liturgies with candle processions, followed by family feasts and the exchange of red eggs. Belarus: MidnightRead More
www.travelextra.ieATHENS — Across the world, Orthodox Christians are celebrating Easter, commemorating the day followers believe that Jesus was resurrected more than 2,000 years ago.
www.todayonline.comdpa Athens/Moscow/Kyiv Millions of Orthodox Christians worldwide rang in Easter Sunday with large midnight Masses. The predominantly Orthodox countries include Greece, Russia,...
www.qatar-tribune.comEastern European, MidEast Countries along with Russia and the Vatican celebrated Orthodox Easter this weekend, some with political messages.
www.foxnews.comIn 2025, Orthodox Christians will celebrate Easter on April 20. This central event in the Orthodox liturgical calendar is marked with solemnity and joy across
timesca.com