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EASTERSUNDAY Function (LibreOffice Calc)

Date & Time Intermediate LibreOffice Calc Introduction not established

The EASTERSUNDAY function returns the date of Easter Sunday for a given year using the computus algorithm. It is essential for holiday calendars, scheduling, and workflows that depend on moveable feast dates.

Verification status: Consult the documentation, examples and any stated test scope below. How formula examples are checked

Availability and version history

  • Introduced: Documented by LibreOffice 26.8.1.1; original introduction not established.
  • Availability: Supported in LibreOffice 26.8.1.1, verified against its function registry. This identifies a supported release, not a final working version.
  • Scope: Desktop Calc, using the English function name. Availability in other spreadsheet applications is separate.
  • Checked: 2026-10-14 — function reference; versioned support. Documentation/source check; not a new native test. Existing example-specific test claims below retain their stated scope.
The **EASTERSUNDAY** function returns the **date of Easter Sunday** for a given year. It uses the computus algorithm to determine the date of the Paschal full moon and the following Sunday. This function is essential for holiday calendars, scheduling systems, payroll logic, and any workflow that depends on moveable feast dates.

What the EASTERSUNDAY Function Does

  • Returns the date of Easter Sunday for a given year
  • Uses the computus algorithm (Western Christian tradition)
  • Works with any year from 1583 onward
  • Returns a serial date number formatted as a date

It is designed to be accurate, reliable, and ideal for holiday‑based workflows.

Syntax

EASTERSUNDAY(year)

Arguments

  • year:
    A four‑digit year (e.g., 2024).

Basic Examples

Easter in 2024

=EASTERSUNDAY(2024)

Returns 2024‑03‑31.

Easter in 2025

=EASTERSUNDAY(2025)

Returns 2025‑04‑20.

Easter in the current year

=EASTERSUNDAY(YEAR(TODAY()))

Easter in a year stored in a cell

=EASTERSUNDAY(A1)

Advanced Examples

Determine if today is Easter Sunday

=TODAY() = EASTERSUNDAY(YEAR(TODAY()))

Determine if a date is in Easter week

=AND(A1 >= EASTERSUNDAY(YEAR(A1))-7; A1 <= EASTERSUNDAY(YEAR(A1))+7)

Compute Good Friday (2 days before Easter)

=EASTERSUNDAY(A1) - 2

Compute Easter Monday (1 day after Easter)

=EASTERSUNDAY(A1) + 1

Compute Ascension Day (39 days after Easter)

=EASTERSUNDAY(A1) + 39

Compute Pentecost (49 days after Easter)

=EASTERSUNDAY(A1) + 49

Build a holiday label

="Easter Sunday " & YEAR(A1) & " falls on " & TEXT(EASTERSUNDAY(A1); "YYYY-MM-DD")

Easter for a year extracted from a timestamp

=EASTERSUNDAY(YEAR(DATEVALUE(LEFT(A1;10))))

Edge Cases and Behavior Details

EASTERSUNDAY returns a date

Accepts:

  • Any integer year ≥ 1583
  • YEAR() output
  • VALUE() output

Invalid year → Err:502

EASTERSUNDAY does not accept:

  • Dates
  • Text dates
  • Negative years
  • Years before Gregorian reform

EASTERSUNDAY of an error → error propagates

Algorithm details (Western Easter)

  • Based on the Gregorian computus
  • Uses Paschal full moon
  • Returns the Sunday following that moon

Eastern Orthodox Easter is not supported

(Uses Julian calendar rules)

Common Errors and Fixes

Err:502 — Invalid argument

Cause:

  • Year is text
  • Year < 1583
  • Non-numeric input

Fix:

  • Wrap with VALUE
  • Validate year
  • Ensure numeric input

Wrong year due to text parsing

Fix:

  • Convert with VALUE(A1)

Unexpected results for pre‑Gregorian years

Fix:

  • Use years ≥ 1583

Best Practices

  • Use EASTERSUNDAY as the anchor for all moveable Christian holidays
  • Use YEAR(TODAY()) for dynamic calendars
  • Use DATEVALUE + YEAR for timestamps
  • Use EASTERSUNDAY with WORKDAY for business‑holiday logic
  • Use EASTERSUNDAY for payroll, scheduling, and compliance calendars
EASTERSUNDAY is your moveable‑holiday anchor — perfect for building dynamic calendars, scheduling systems, and workflows that depend on Easter‑related dates.
  • Use DAYSINMONTH and DAYSINYEAR for month/year lengths
  • Use DATE to construct related holidays
  • Use YEAR to extract the year from timestamps
  • Use WORKDAY to adjust Easter‑related holidays to business days

By mastering EASTERSUNDAY and its companion functions, you can build powerful, accurate, and fully dynamic holiday‑aware workflows in LibreOffice Calc.