What is Catholic Easter Monday?
Catholic Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday on the Western calendar. In Bosnia and Herzegovina it is listed as a holiday for the Catholic community, in the same way that the Orthodox community has its own Easter holidays on the Orthodox date. It continues the Easter celebration, with Mass in the morning and, for many families, visits and a shared meal. The date follows the Western Easter, which falls on a different day from the Orthodox Easter in most years, so Bosnia and Herzegovina often has two separate Easter periods, one for each major Christian community.
The Gospel reading for the day usually recounts the walk to Emmaus, in which two disciples meet the risen Jesus without recognising him until he breaks bread with them. In many Catholic countries the day is spent with relatives, in the countryside or on short trips, and regions have folk customs of their own, which in Central Europe include sprinkling with water or switching with willow branches. In rural areas, villagers visit one another or spend time outdoors, and the day is a typical occasion for the first spring picnic of the year.
Why it is observed
The practice of celebrating the Monday after Easter goes back to the early church, when the Easter festival lasted a full week, known as the Easter Octave, and newly baptised Christians wore white garments throughout. In later centuries the Monday remained a day of rest in many regions and became a statutory holiday in much of Europe. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Catholic, Orthodox, Muslim and Jewish communities each have holidays that are recognised in law, Catholic Easter Monday is the Monday that belongs to the Catholic calendar, and it falls on the same day as Easter Monday in Western Europe.
How the date is set
Catholic Easter Monday is the day after Catholic Easter Sunday, which is the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after 21 March on the Gregorian calendar. It falls between 23 March and 26 April.
How it is observed
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Catholic Easter Monday is a day off for members of the Catholic community, and the way it applies to businesses, schools and public offices depends on the entity or canton, so it is best checked locally. In majority-Catholic areas, shops and offices often close and a long weekend is common. Pay, substitute days and employer rules depend on the legislation that applies and on the contract. Visitors should expect a quiet day with reduced services, especially in smaller towns. Dates should be checked each year. Always confirm locally.
Bosnia & Herzegovina