Bank Holiday in 2024

When is Ascension Friday?

Ascension Day is the 40th day of Easter and commemorates the ascension of Jesus into heaven 39 days after resurrection on Easter Sunday.

As Ascension Day always falls on a Thursday, in some countries, it is traditional to take the Friday after Ascension as a holiday to create a four-day weekend.

The date for Ascension Friday depends on the date of Easter which changes every year. The earliest possible date for Ascension Friday is May 1st, the latest possible date is June 4th.

What is Ascension Day?

You will find the Biblical accounts of the Ascension in Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53 and Acts 1:6-11.

During the forty-day period before he ascended into heaven, it is believed that Jesus preached and intermingled with his apostles and disciples.

For some Protestants, Ascension Friday is the first day of a nine-day period between Ascension Day, and Pentecost, which is set aside as a time of fasting and prayer to honour the disciples' time of prayer and unity awaiting the Holy Spirit.

Ascension Day customs

An old English tradition is that if it is sunny on Ascension Day, it will be a warm summer; but if it rains, it will a poor harvest and livestock will suffer from disease.

In Sweden people go into the woods very early in the morning to hear the birds at sunrise. It is said to be good luck if a cuckoo is heard from the east or west.