Ascension Day

What is Ascension Day?

On Ascension Day, Christians commemorate the ascension of Jesus into heaven, forty days after his resurrection at Easter. Counting Easter Sunday as the first day, that puts Ascension Day 39 days after Easter, always on a Thursday. Its date moves with Easter and falls between late April and early June.

The story of the Ascension is told in the Acts of the Apostles: after appearing to his disciples for forty days, Jesus was taken up into heaven while they watched. In art, the scene is often shown with the apostles looking up at a cloud. The feast has been celebrated since at least the fourth century.

In 2027 it falls on Thursday 6 May.

Ten days later comes Pentecost, the celebration of the Holy Spirit descending on the apostles.

Ascension Day in the UK

Ascension Day is not a bank holiday in the UK, unlike in many European countries such as France, Germany and the Netherlands. If you are planning a trip to the continent at this time of year, expect busier roads and closed shops and offices there.

Some old customs survive. In parts of England, parishes 'beat the bounds' around Ascension, walking the boundary of the parish and striking landmarks with sticks.