Easter is at the forefront of the Christian calendar each year, with celebrations taking place around the world to mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Easter eggs, chicks and bunnies have become symbols of the holiday as it falls in the springtime, and it wouldn't be Easter without the usual overindulgence of chocolate and sweet treats.

Easter Sunday falls on different dates annually, and it's set to be a little earlier in the year for 2016.

When is Easter 2016?

Easter falls on Sunday March 27 this year. The long bank holiday weekend begins on Good Friday (March 25), and Easter Monday (March 28) is the final day in the bank holiday festivities.

In western Christianity, Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25.

Why does Easter change every year?

Many other festivals are on fixed days, however Easter is a movable feast based on the lunar calendar, and is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon on or after March 21.

Who decides when Easter is?

The First Council of Nicea was a council of Christian bishops convened in Nicaea in Bithynia by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in AD 325. They made decisions in an effort to attain a consensus on several Christian topics.

Based on the paschal full moon, it was decided by the bishops that Easter Day would fall on the next full moon after the spring equinox.

This was because Easter must fall on a Sunday as it was the day of Christ's resurrection.

The paschal full moon was chosen because the date of Passover in the Jewish calendar, and the Last Supper (Holy Thursday) occurred on the Passover. Therefore, Easter is the Sunday after Passover.

But since the paschal full moon can be on different days in different time zones, it was decided that the full moon is always determined to be the 14th day of the lunar month.

Even though the spring equinox can occur on March 20, the church also fixes the spring equinox as March 21.

But before Easter, it's Pancake Day! Here's everything you need to know.