When Is Laetare Sunday?

Find the Date for This and Other Years

Saint Patrick Catholic Church, Columbus, Ohio
Saint Patrick Catholic Church in Columbus, Ohio, decorated for Laetare Sunday. Getty Images

Laetare Sunday is the popular name for the Fourth Sunday in Lent. The name comes from the first word of the Introit or entrance antiphon of the Mass for that day: In Latin, the entrance antiphon (Isaiah 66:10-11) begins "Laetare, Jerusalem" ("Rejoice, Jerusalem").

Since there are six Sundays in Lent, Laetare Sunday falls just past the midpoint of Lent. For that reason, Laetare Sunday has traditionally been viewed as a day of celebration, on which the austerity of Lent is briefly lessened; the organ is played, flowers are allowed on the altar, and the purple vestments of Lent, signifying penance, are set aside and, as on Gaudete Sunday in Advent, rose ones are used instead.

How Is the Date of Laetare Sunday Determined?

As the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday is always three weeks before Easter. But because the date of Laetare Sunday depends on the date of Easter, and the date of Easter changes every year, Laetare Sunday falls on a different date each year.

When Is Laetare Sunday This Year?

Here is the date of Laetare Sunday this year:

  • Laetare Sunday 2018: March 11, 2018

When Is Laetare Sunday in Future Years?

Here are the dates of Laetare Sunday next year and in future years:

  • Laetare Sunday 2019: March 31, 2019
  • Laetare Sunday 2020: March 22, 2020
  • Laetare Sunday 2021: March 14, 2021
  • Laetare Sunday 2022: March 27, 2022
  • Laetare Sunday 2023: March 19, 2023
  • Laetare Sunday 2024: March 10, 2024
  • Laetare Sunday 2025: March 30, 2025
  • Laetare Sunday 2026: March 15, 2026
  • Laetare Sunday 2027: March 7, 2027
  • Laetare Sunday 2028: March 26, 2028
  • Laetare Sunday 2029: March 11, 2029
  • Laetare Sunday 2030: March 31, 2030

When Was Laetare Sunday in Previous Years?

Here are the dates when Laetare Sunday fell in previous years, going back to 2007:

  • Laetare Sunday 2007: March 18, 2007
  • Laetare Sunday 2008: March 2, 2008
  • Laetare Sunday 2009: March 22, 2009
  • Laetare Sunday 2010: March 14, 2010
  • Laetare Sunday 2011: April 3, 2011
  • Laetare Sunday 2012: March 18, 2012
  • Laetare Sunday 2013: March 10, 2013
  • Laetare Sunday 2014: March 30, 2014
  • Laetare Sunday 2015: March 15, 2015
  • Laetare Sunday 2016: March 6, 2016
  • Laetare Sunday 2017: March 26, 2017
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Your Citation
Richert, Scott P. "When Is Laetare Sunday?" Learn Religions, Aug. 25, 2020, learnreligions.com/when-is-laetare-sunday-541613. Richert, Scott P. (2020, August 25). When Is Laetare Sunday? Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/when-is-laetare-sunday-541613 Richert, Scott P. "When Is Laetare Sunday?" Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/when-is-laetare-sunday-541613 (accessed March 19, 2024).