Festival
Holy Saturday 2028: Date, History & Significance
Saturday
Saturday, 15 April 2028
Holy Saturday 2028 is on Saturday, 15 April 2028. Holy Saturday is the day Jesus's body lay in the tomb and, in Christian belief, he descended to the realm of the dead to free the righteous who had died before him. It is a quiet day of waiting — no Mass during the daytime — that ends after nightfall with the Easter Vigil, the first celebration of the Resurrection.
What is Holy Saturday?
The altar stays bare, the tabernacle empty, and no sacraments are celebrated except in danger of death. Believers keep vigil, visit the altar of repose, and prepare for the night. The Easter Vigil, beginning in darkness with the new fire and the Paschal candle, is technically the start of Easter but is often counted with Holy Saturday.
The story of Holy Saturday
The Gospels say the tomb was sealed and guarded on the sabbath. The Apostles' Creed's line 'he descended into hell' (or 'to the dead') is read as this day: Christ entering the abode of the dead to break its gates and lead out Adam, Eve and all the righteous of the ages — the 'Harrowing of Hell' of Christian art.
Source: The Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles; the liturgical calendar of the Church
History
The Easter Vigil is one of the oldest continuous Christian liturgies; Holy Saturday's daytime silence is kept across the Western and Eastern churches. It is not a public holiday.
- Indian Christian community practice (Latin, Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankara, CSI, CNI, Orthodox)
- The Roman Missal / liturgical calendars
How Holy Saturday is observed
- The day is kept in silence at the tomb: there is no Mass during the day, and churches stay bare.
- After nightfall the Easter Vigil begins with the new fire and the paschal candle, the readings of salvation history and the baptism of new Christians.
- Families prepare for the Easter feast while the house keeps the quiet of the day.
Regional variations
- India-wide Christian communities. A day of quiet and fasting, ending with the Easter Vigil after dark — new fire, the Paschal candle, the readings, and baptisms.
Festive foods
- Preparation for Easter — The Easter meal and sweets are cooked, but the feast waits for the Vigil.
Why this date
Holy Saturday falls on Saturday, 15 April 2028. The day of the tomb; Easter Vigil at night.
at sunrise
The astronomical basis
Holy Saturday is dated by The Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday (movable). The movable feasts of the Christian year (Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost) are all reckoned from Easter, which is the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox; the fixed feasts (Christmas, Epiphany, the Annunciation, All Saints and All Souls) keep the same civil date each year.
The date is set by the Hindu lunisolar calendar and shifts against the Gregorian year.
Holy Saturday dates 2022–2037
| Year | Date | Day | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Saturday, 16 April 2022 | Sat | — |
| 2023 | Saturday, 8 April 2023 | Sat | — |
| 2024 | Saturday, 30 March 2024 | Sat | — |
| 2025 | Saturday, 19 April 2025 | Sat | — |
| 2026 | Saturday, 4 April 2026 | Sat | — |
| 2027 | Saturday, 27 March 2027 | Sat | — |
| 2028 | Saturday, 15 April 2028 | Sat | — |
| 2029 | Saturday, 31 March 2029 | Sat | — |
| 2030 | Saturday, 20 April 2030 | Sat | — |
| 2031 | Saturday, 12 April 2031 | Sat | — |
| 2032 | Saturday, 27 March 2032 | Sat | — |
| 2033 | Saturday, 16 April 2033 | Sat | — |
| 2034 | Saturday, 8 April 2034 | Sat | — |
| 2035 | Saturday, 24 March 2035 | Sat | — |
| 2036 | Saturday, 12 April 2036 | Sat | — |
| 2037 | Saturday, 4 April 2037 | Sat | — |
Dates for New Delhi; they can differ by a day elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
When is Holy Saturday 2028?
Holy Saturday 2028 is on Saturday, 15 April 2028. Holy Saturday falls on Saturday, 15 April 2028. The day of the tomb; Easter Vigil at night.
What is Holy Saturday about?
It is the in-between day — Christ dead and buried, not yet risen. Christians keep it as a day of waiting and, in the older creeds, of Christ's descent to free the righteous dead. It ends with the Easter Vigil, the first Resurrection service, after nightfall.
Is the Easter Vigil part of Holy Saturday or Easter?
Liturgically it is the beginning of Easter Sunday, held after dark on Saturday night. Calendars and many parishes list it under Holy Saturday because that is when people gather.
Related
In the sequence
Written by AstroTathya Editorial Team · Last updated 2026-09-08.
Date & panchang computed by the AstroTathya calculation engine, Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsa; muhurat and timings are worked out for each city. How we calculate this → · Editorial policy
Sources & further reading
- The Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles; the liturgical calendar of the Church
- Indian Christian community practice (Latin, Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankara, CSI, CNI, Orthodox)
- Wikipedia