NEW YORK — Christians worldwide observe Ascension Day on Thursday, May 14, 2026, marking the moment Jesus Christ ascended into heaven 40 days after his resurrection on Easter Sunday. The feast, one of the oldest in the Christian calendar, celebrates Jesus' exaltation to the right hand of God and carries deep theological significance for believers across denominations.

Ascension Day commemorates the event described in the New Testament, particularly in the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. According to scripture, after appearing to his disciples for 40 days following his resurrection, Jesus led them to the Mount of Olives near Bethany. He blessed them, promised the coming of the Holy Spirit, and was then lifted up into heaven as they watched. Two angels appeared, telling the disciples that Jesus would return in the same way he departed.

The number 40 holds symbolic importance in the Bible, representing periods of testing, preparation and transition. Just as Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness before his ministry and the Israelites wandered 40 years in the desert, the 40 days between Easter and Ascension represent a time of final instruction and commissioning for the apostles before the birth of the Church at Pentecost.

For many Christian traditions, Ascension Day is a major feast. In the Catholic Church, it is a Holy Day of Obligation in many countries, requiring the faithful to attend Mass. Eastern Orthodox Christians, who follow the Julian calendar in some regions, often celebrate it on a different date, but the meaning remains the same. Protestant denominations vary in observance — some, like Anglicans........

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