In the Roman Catholic Church, liturgical service is held on this day. The liturgy, now celebrated after 3 p.m., consists of three distinct parts: readings and prayers (including the Passion according to St. John), the veneration of the cross, and the communion (in place of the Liturgy of the pre-sanctified which developed in the Middle Ages). Non-liturgical devotions such as the Way of the Cross, and the Three Hours Service were introduced in the Roman Catholic Church after the Protestant Reformation and are still observed in some places. The Three Hours Service is a three-hour-long service consisting of sermons, hymns, and prayers centered round Christ's "seven last words on the Cross". It takes place from 12 noon to 3 pm on Good Friday.

In the Orthodox and Eastern Catholics, congregations take place up to three times during the day for prayer: in the forenoon, to pray the Royal Hours appointed for that day; in the afternoon, the Vespers of Holy Friday; and in the evening, the Matins of Holy Saturday.

In the Anglican churches, The Book of Common Prayer provides for a celebration of the Eucharist on Good Friday, though this is largely ignored and the chief service of the day is often the Three Hours Service.

In Lutheran and other Protestant churches, various services are held, including the Three Hours Service and services with Holy Communion.

Two days after Good Friday is Easter Sunday, the day of resurrection of Christ. It is the central festival of the Christian church and after the Sabbath, it is the oldest Christian observance. Easter Day is also called the Sunday of the Resurrection.

Roman Catholics and some Lutherans and Anglicans begin the festival on the night of Holy Saturday with the Easter Vigil. This, the most important liturgy of the year, begins in total darkness with the blessing of the Easter fire, the lighting of the large Paschal candle (symbolic of the Risen Christ) and the chanting of the Exsultet or Easter Proclamation attributed to Saint Ambrose of Milan. This is followed by a number of readings from the Old Testament. These tell the stories of creation, the sacrifice of Isaac, the crossing of the Red Sea, and the foretold coming of the Messiah.

This part of the service climaxes with the singing of the Alleluia and the proclamation of the gospel of the resurrection. A sermon may be preached after the gospel.

Easter is also considered the most perfect time to receive baptism, and this practice is alive in Roman Catholicism, as it is the time when new members are initiated into the Church, and it is being revived in some other circles.

In the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Christian, Easter is the most important religious festival the Lord. This is reflected in the cultures of countries that are traditionally Orthodox Christian majority. Easter-connected social customs are native and rich. Christmas customs, on the other hand, are usually foreign imports, either from Germany or the USA. Eastern Rite Catholics in communion with the Pope of Rome have similar emphasis in their calendars, and many of their liturgical customs are very similar.

Two very important features of Easter Sunday are Easter eggs and Easter bunnies. Of all the symbols associated with Easter the egg, the symbol of fertility and new life, is the most identifiable. The customs and traditions of using eggs have been associated with Easter for centuries. Different cultures have developed their own ways of decorating Easter eggs.

The Easter bunny is a fantasy or mythological giving rabbit which leaves gifts for children at Easter (or at springtime). It originates in Western European cultures, where it is a hare rather than a rabbit.

The bunny as an Easter symbol seems to have its origins in Germany, where it was first mentioned in German writings in the 1500s.