What is Easter Tuesday?
Easter Tuesday is the third day of the Easter festival. It is much less common as a holiday than Easter Monday and appears in only a few places on this site, namely Vatican City, where it follows the Western Easter date, and Cyprus, where it follows the Orthodox date and extends the Easter holidays by one more day. In the Catholic calendar the week continues to Divine Mercy Sunday, the second Sunday of Easter, and in the Orthodox calendar the week is followed by Thomas Sunday, so Tuesday is part of the extended celebration. The two places keep it for different reasons.
In the Catholic Church the whole week after Easter is the Octave of Easter, during which each day is celebrated with the rank of a solemnity and has its own Gospel reading about the appearances of the risen Jesus. In the Orthodox Church the week is called Bright Week, a period of festive services in which, among other things, the central doors of the iconostasis stay open and the fasting rules are suspended. On the Tuesday of the Octave, the liturgical readings recall the appearance of the risen Jesus to Mary Magdalene at the tomb.
Why it is observed
The practice of a week-long Easter celebration goes back to the fourth century, when newly baptised Christians wore white garments during the week after their baptism at the Easter Vigil. Over time most countries reduced the observance to one or two days, usually Sunday and Monday, but in a few places Easter Tuesday survived as a separate day off. In Vatican City the church calendar shapes the working calendar directly, and in Cyprus it reflects the strength of Orthodox tradition in public life. The Cyprus holiday fits the Orthodox custom of treating the whole of Bright Week as one continuous festival.
How the date is set
Easter Tuesday is the day after Easter Monday and two days after Easter Sunday. In Vatican City it follows the Western Easter, and in Cyprus it follows the Orthodox Easter, so the two dates differ in most years.
How it is observed
In Vatican City and in Cyprus, Easter Tuesday appears as a holiday in the calendar data used for this site. In most other countries it is an ordinary working day, which is why it is easy to overlook when planning travel. Because Vatican City and Cyprus follow different Easters, the dates are far apart in most years, and the Cyprus date should be checked each year. Pay and substitution rules depend on the employer and the contract. Tourist attractions in both places may follow modified hours. Check each year's date.
Vatican City