Ascension Day

Marking forty days from Easter to the ascension into heaven.

Ascension Day falls forty days after Easter Sunday, always on a Thursday, and commemorates Jesus's bodily ascension into heaven as recounted in the Book of Acts and the Gospel of Luke. It marks the close of Jesus's post-resurrection appearances and looks ahead to Pentecost ten days later. Reflect on the feast with our Prayers collection.

Christian traditions mark the day with special liturgies, and in some countries it remains a public holiday with processions and outdoor services. The forty-day count echoes other significant periods in the Bible, such as Jesus's forty days in the wilderness. Our Quotes collection offers further reflections for the day.