When is Easter 2023? When are the UK school holidays? Spring bank holiday dates trends now

When is Easter 2023, when is the four-day bank holiday weekend and when are the school holidays? Vital Q&A on upcoming spring break This year, Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday which is on April 2 Many schools across England and Wales will break up on Friday, March 31 Good Friday will take place on April 7, and Bank Holiday Monday is on April 10 Many schools are scheduled to resume classes on Monday, April 17

By Darren Boyle for MailOnline

Published: 12:39 GMT, 12 January 2023 | Updated: 12:41 GMT, 12 January 2023

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Easter is the most solemn time of year in the Christian religious calendar with its date changing each year in line with the lunar cycle.

This year, Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday on April 2, which, according to Christian tradition, marks the return of Jesus to Jerusalem.

The events of Holy Week correspond with the Jewish festival of Passover which begins at sunset on Wednesday, April 5.

According Christian theology, before Jesus returned to Jerusalem, he spent '40 days and 40 nights' in the desert, preparing himself for his upcoming death and resurrection by fasting and resisting the temptations of the devil. Many Christians take the opportunity of Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, February 22, to give up something pleasurable for the duration of the period.

Schools are likely to break up sometime around March 31 and return on April 17, though the exact times in different council areas may differ

Easter Week is celebrated by Christians as a time where they believe Jesus returned to Jerusalem, held his Last Supper, was betrayed by Judas Iscariot, crucified and was resurrected. Pictured: Israeli archaeologist