So we're all at work and wondering when the next public holiday will be this year.

We have to wait until Easter for the next bank holidays but it's always a bit tricky and confusing to work out or remember.

That's because Easter is what’s called a moveable feast - a religious festival whose dates vary each year.

So when is Easter 2017 and why do the dates keep changing?

Here's all you need to know.

So why does the date of Easter change every year?

Although known today mostly as a time for eating chocolate eggs, Easter is a Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus as described in the Bible.

The Gospels - accounts of the life, death and Resurrection of Jesus that are included in the Bible - place the date of the Crucifixion as Friday, April 3, according to interpretation.

The year of the Crucifixion has been worked out to be 33 AD by comparing with references to high priest Caiaphas, governor Pontius Pilate and emperor Tiberius Caesar, who all lived around the same time as Jesus.

So, if we know Jesus died on April 3, why is the date of Easter different every year?

It’s because the last week in the life of Jesus - a period known as the Passion - includes a series of connected events that must fall in the right place on the calendar.

These include the Last Supper (on what’s now known as Maundy Thursday) and the Crucifixion (on what we call Good Friday). That was followed two days later by the Resurrection, when Jesus rose from the dead (on Easter Sunday).

The Last Supper was at or around the time of Passover, the Jewish holiday celebrating the Israelites being freed from slavery in Egypt. Passover begins at the full moon.

There was no consensus on the date of Easter until a group of bishops gathered at the First Council of Nicea in 325 AD to lay down rules on how it should be worked out.

They decided that Easter (meaning Easter Day or Easter Sunday) must always be a Sunday. It had to be the first Sunday following the full moon at Passover, the time of the Last Supper.

Because the full moon can fall on different days in different time zones, it was decreed that the date would always be taken as the 14th day of the lunar month, and it must always be the next full moon AFTER the Spring Equinox.

This is now called the Paschal Full Moon, and it can vary by two days from the actual full moon.

Once that date is known, then the Easter holidays can be given their place on the calendar.

Still confused? Then watch the video above.

When is Easter in 2017?

The key dates are as follows:

Good Friday is on April 14

Easter Saturday is on April 15

Easter Sunday (also called Easter Day) is on April 16

Easter Monday is on April 17

Good Friday is the next bank holiday in the year after New Year’s Day.

And with Easter Monday also a bank holiday, it means a four-day long weekend for many people.

For schools, colleges and universities, there are Easter holidays of about two weeks that include the key Easter dates and mark the end of one term and the start of the next.

For schools in Birmingham, the spring term ends on Friday, April 7, and there is then a two-week break until summer term begins on Monday, April 24.

What's the Easter weather forecast for 2017?

April is set to become more and more unsettled as Atlantic weather fronts move in.

At present, indications are that Good Friday will be sunny, with cloud and rain making an unwelcome appearance over the rest of the Easter weekend. Follow the link below for more information on each day of the Easter weekend.

The Met Office says that, in general, we are more likely to see snow at Easter than at Christmas. The later in the year that Easter falls, the better the weather is likely to be.

We will bring you the most up-to-date information on the Easter weather forecast as soon as it's known.

Why do we have chocolate eggs at Easter? Which are the best ones?

Eggs are a symbol of rebirth and new life. They have been associated with Easter since celebrations of the coming of spring in ancient times, long before the Christian festival that marks the Resurrection of Jesus.

The first Easter eggs were hen or duck eggs painted with vegetable dyes and charcoal. In the 17th century, parents began giving egg-shaped toys to children at Easter.

The first chocolate Easter eggs for eating were made in Europe in the early 19th Century, with France and Germany leading the way. The eggs were solid chocolate because techniques to make moulds for mass production of hollow shells had not been developed.

The first Cadbury Easter eggs were made in 1875, using dark chocolate. The shell was filled with sugared almonds.

Today, every child in the UK receives an average of 8.8 Easter eggs every year – double their recommended calorie intake for a whole week.

However, families have been warned that Easter eggs will be more expensive in 2017.

We've looked at the best Easter egg deals from Asda, Cadbury, Tesco and Thorntons, including the best overall, the best for sharing, free-from options and budget buys.

In addition, Kinder has unveiled a range of giant Easter eggs, in My Little Pony or Transformers versions.

And if you want something very quirky, there's even a gin and tonic Easter egg from Prestat, with gin truffles hidden inside.

Check out all the events of Easter Weekends.

Source : birminghammail