NEW YORK — Christians across the globe gathered Sunday for worship, sunrise services and family celebrations to mark Resurrection Day 2026, also known as Easter Sunday, commemorating the central tenet of their faith: the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Easter Sunday AFP
Easter 2026 fell on April 5, the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox. This date, determined by lunar and solar cycles established at the Council of Nicaea in 325, varies each year but always lands between March 22 and April 25. For Western Christian traditions using the Gregorian calendar, April 5 marked the culmination of Holy Week, following Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
The day carries profound theological significance. According to the New Testament accounts in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Jesus was crucified on Good Friday and rose on the third day, conquering death and offering believers the promise of eternal life. Many churches refer to the observance as Resurrection Sunday or Resurrection Day to emphasize this victory over the grave rather than secular Easter traditions.
In churches large and small, from grand cathedrals to outdoor gatherings, believers sang hymns such as “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” and “He Lives,” listened to sermons on hope and renewal, and participated in baptisms and communion. Sunrise services, a longstanding tradition especially popular in the United States, drew crowds to beaches, parks and hilltops to witness the dawn as a symbol of new life.
In Charleston, South Carolina, multiple congregations held sunrise services as the sun rose around 7:02 a.m., with one 65th annual event streamed live for those unable to attend in person. Similar observances took place at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, where Christians commemorated the resurrection at a site many believe resembles the biblical tomb.
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints encouraged members and friends to attend special sacrament meetings and reflect on the Savior’s resurrection. The First Presidency had invited families to bring neighbors to Palm Sunday services the previous week and to watch general conference sessions that included Easter-focused messages of God’s love.
Catholic parishes celebrated with solemn processions and festal Masses of the Resurrection. In New York, the Church of the Transfiguration offered a Solemn Procession and Festal Mass at 11 a.m., with live streams available for remote participants. Easter Vigil services the previous evening welcomed new members through baptism and confirmation.
Many Protestant denominations followed the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Year A, including passages from Acts, Psalms and the Gospels that recount the empty tomb and appearances of the risen Christ. Sermons often connected the resurrection to contemporary themes of renewal amid global challenges, emphasizing resilience, forgiveness and community.
Families marked the day with traditional meals featuring ham, lamb or regional specialties, along with Easter egg hunts for children. The custom of dyeing and hiding eggs symbolizes new life emerging from the shell, while chocolate bunnies and baskets add festive elements, though many congregations focused on the religious meaning.
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For Eastern Orthodox Christians, who follow the Julian calendar, Easter falls later this year on April 12. The difference highlights the diversity within Christianity while underscoring the shared belief in Christ’s resurrection.
In an era of digital connectivity, many services were livestreamed, allowing believers unable to attend physically — due to illness, travel or distance — to participate. Online Easter celebrations, including virtual choirs and interactive messages, extended the reach of Resurrection Day observances worldwide.
The holiday is not a public holiday in the United States, so most businesses operated on regular Sunday hours. However, many families used the long weekend, often paired with school breaks, for gatherings and travel.
Church leaders used the occasion to extend invitations to those exploring faith. Messages of inclusion emphasized that the resurrection offers hope to all, regardless of background. Some services featured testimonies of personal transformation attributed to faith in the risen Christ.
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Public figures and organizations shared greetings. Pope Francis was expected to deliver his traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing from St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, addressing global issues through the lens of Easter hope. In the U.S., presidents and governors have historically issued Easter proclamations recognizing the day’s importance to millions of citizens.
The commercial side of Easter remained visible, with retailers promoting candy, clothing and home decor. Yet many families and clergy sought to balance secular fun with spiritual reflection, encouraging focus on the resurrection’s message of redemption and new beginnings.
Resurrection Day also prompts charitable acts. Some churches organized food drives, community meals or outreach to the homeless, reflecting Jesus’ teachings on love and service.
As climate and world events shape gatherings, some outdoor services adapted to weather forecasts. In many regions, mild spring conditions allowed comfortable worship under open skies.
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The date’s calculation ties Easter to Passover, as the crucifixion occurred during the Jewish festival. This connection reminds Christians of the shared roots with Judaism and the historical context of Jesus’ final week.
Scholars note that early Christians gradually shifted emphasis from the Jewish calendar to a standardized method to unify observance across the growing faith. The movable date ensures alignment with both astronomical phenomena and seasonal renewal symbolism.
For millions, Resurrection Day 2026 served as a reminder of core Christian beliefs: that death does not have the final word, and that faith brings hope even in difficult times. Sermons frequently addressed personal struggles, societal divisions and international conflicts, pointing to the resurrection as a source of ultimate peace.
Children’s programs taught the Easter story through songs, crafts and age-appropriate lessons. Many Sunday schools incorporated eggs and butterflies as visual aids for transformation.
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In diverse communities, interfaith neighbors sometimes joined friends for meals or attended open services, fostering understanding. Ecumenical events brought Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox together in shared celebration where possible.
As the sun set on April 5, 2026, the joy of Resurrection Day lingered. Families returned home with renewed spirits, while churches planned follow-up activities during the Easter season, which continues for 50 days until Pentecost.
Whether expressed as “Happy Easter” or “Happy Resurrection Day,” the greeting carried the same underlying hope: He is risen, indeed.
For those who missed services or wish to revisit messages, many churches posted recordings online. The day’s observances, both sacred and festive, reinforced Christianity’s foundational claim and its enduring call to live with faith, love and expectation of renewal.
Pick n Pay Stores Limited (PKPYY) Q4 2026 Earnings Call May 25, 2026 2:30 AM EDT
Company Participants
Sean Summers – CEO & Executive Director Lerena Olivier – CFO & Executive Director
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Conference Call Participants
Michael de Nobrega – Avior Capital Markets (Pty) Ltd. Shane Watkins – All Weather Capital (Pty) Ltd
Presentation
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Sean Summers CEO & Executive Director
8:30 it is. Good morning, and welcome to everybody here present today inside the auditorium and then all of those joining us online. Good morning, and welcome to this presentation of our FY ’26 full year results. It’s my pleasure to do the introduction today and to just bring you up to speed a little bit with where we are. And I know that there’s obviously been lots of coverage in the media and another trading update that was issued on Friday. But I suppose some of the real major callouts for us is that the journey that we’re on is that we are pleased with the steady pace of recovery that we’re showing in the organization and specifically in our top line sales growth. And we recognize that there is still an enormous amount of work to be done.
And it’s amazing driving in here today, if you just have a look outside the building and you have a look at how Pick n Pay is showing up as a business today, with all of its new branding, its positioning and really getting the essence of the company back into what we do every day that this company certainly does have a heartbeat today, and it does have a pulse. And we recognize that we still got a lot of work to do, but we have done a lot in the last 2 years.
A decade ago, international expansion was something UK SMEs spent years building towards. Today, your business could be paying suppliers in Poland, hiring developers in Portugal, and invoicing clients in California before you hit your second birthday.
The barrier to going global has collapsed, but most SMEs are still using banking infrastructure designed for domestic-only businesses – and that mismatch costs real money.
Multi-currency accounts and modern payment platforms have made it technically possible to operate across borders from day one. Knowing they exist and actually setting them up efficiently are two different things.
Your high-street business bank account works perfectly well when everyone you deal with uses pounds sterling. The moment you start receiving euros or paying in dollars, you’re exposed to exchange rate markups, transfer delays, and fees that aren’t always transparent.
These hidden costs add up quickly. They’re often buried in the fine print or disguised as “competitive rates” that turn out to be anything but.
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Why UK SMEs Are Going Global Earlier Than Ever
UK small and medium-sized enterprises are expanding internationally far sooner than previous generations of businesses. A growing number now have cross-border revenue, remote international staff, or global customers within their first year of trading.
Several factors have converged to make this possible. Post-Brexit trade realities pushed many UK businesses to look beyond Europe for growth opportunities.
The pandemic accelerated remote work, making it normal to hire talent from anywhere in the world. Digital payment platforms and e-commerce marketplaces removed traditional barriers that once made international trade feel out of reach.
Key enablers driving early internationalisation:
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E-commerce platforms that handle currency conversion, international shipping, and localised checkout experiences
Freelance marketplaces connecting UK businesses with contractors across multiple time zones
Digital banking tools offering multi-currency accounts at accessible price points
Government export support through schemes like UK Export Finance designed specifically for smaller businesses
Global e-commerce sales continue to grow substantially, creating immediate access to international customers. You no longer need physical offices abroad or dedicated export departments to test foreign markets.
The shift in global trade patterns means you’re now competing with – and selling to – businesses worldwide from day one. Supply chains have diversified, and accessing international suppliers or customers has become part of standard business planning rather than a later-stage expansion strategy.
The Hidden Costs Traditional Banking Doesn’t Show You
When you send a £50,000 payment to a European supplier through your traditional bank, you might see a modest £25 transfer fee. What you don’t see is the £1,200+ disappearing into the foreign exchange margin – a markup quietly embedded in the conversion rate itself.
Traditional banks rarely advertise their FX spreads. Instead of the mid-market rate you’d find on Google, they offer you a rate that’s 2-4% worse, pocketing the difference as profit.
This means every international payment loses money before it even leaves your account.
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Common hidden charges include:
FX markups baked into “fee-free” international transfers
Wire transfer fees charged by both sending and receiving banks
Double conversion charges when payments route through correspondent banks
Weekend and holiday spreads that widen when markets close
Payment amendment fees if details need correcting mid-transfer
The time cost matters too. Your finance team spends hours reconciling payments across currencies, chasing transfers that take 3-5 days to clear, and explaining unexplained shortfalls to suppliers who received less than invoiced.
Many SMEs lose thousands annually without realising it. Research indicates that UK small businesses collectively forfeit substantial sums to these concealed charges, yet most business owners only notice their monthly account fee.
Where Traditional Business Banking Falls Short
Most high-street banks were designed for businesses operating primarily within their home market. Their infrastructure reflects decades of domestic-first thinking, which creates tangible problems when you begin trading across borders.
Currency management is one of the most glaring gaps. Many traditional banks don’t allow you to hold multiple currencies in separate sub-accounts.
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Instead, they force automatic conversions at unfavourable exchange rates whenever foreign revenue arrives. This means you lose money simply by receiving payment.
Access to local banking infrastructure is another limitation. If you need a local IBAN for European clients or a US account number for American customers, most traditional banks either can’t provide these or make the process prohibitively expensive and slow.
Opening a business account in another country typically requires physical presence, mountains of paperwork, and weeks of processing time.
The fee structures are rigid and often opaque. You might face:
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High fixed fees per international transfer
Percentage-based charges that scale with transaction size
Unfavourable exchange rate margins (often 3-5% above the interbank rate)
Monthly account fees for multi-currency services
Processing speed remains frustratingly slow. Standard international transfers can take 3-5 business days, which creates cash flow complications when you’re managing inventory, paying suppliers, or dealing with time-sensitive opportunities.
These limitations aren’t oversights. They reflect the reality that traditional banking infrastructure was built before globalisation became accessible to smaller businesses.
The systems simply weren’t designed for the way modern SMEs operate across multiple markets simultaneously.
A Smarter Setup – How Multi-Currency Accounts Work for Small Teams
A multi-currency account lets you hold, receive, and pay in multiple currencies from a single account.
Instead of opening separate bank accounts in different countries, you manage all your foreign currency needs through one platform.
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These accounts provide local-style account details for different regions.
You can receive euros with European IBAN details, US dollars with ACH routing numbers, and pounds with UK sort codes.
Your customers and suppliers pay you as if you had a local bank account in their country.
For a growing UK business with European suppliers and US customers, a multi-currency account can replace a tangle of bank fees and conversion charges with a single, transparent setup.
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This lets you hold euros, dollars, and sterling without converting until you need to.
Key capabilities include:
Multiple currency wallets within one account interface
Local receiving details for major markets (EUR, USD, GBP, AUD, etc.)
Hold balances in each currency without forced conversions
Convert when you choose at rates typically under 1% markup
Direct payments to suppliers in their preferred currency
The main advantage is avoiding unnecessary conversions.
When you receive payment in euros, you hold those euros until you need them.
If you have a supplier invoice in euros, you pay directly from that balance.
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You only convert between currencies when it makes commercial sense, not every time money moves.
Small teams benefit from consolidated reporting.
Your finance manager sees all currency positions in one dashboard rather than logging into multiple banking platforms across different countries.
LOS ANGELES — HBO’s hit series “Euphoria” returns for its third season with exactly eight episodes, maintaining the episode count of its previous two seasons while shifting the story forward several years into the characters’ post-high school lives. The season premiered on April 12, 2026, and airs weekly on Sundays, with the finale scheduled for May 31.
Euphoria Season 3
As of Memorial Day 2026, viewers have seen seven episodes, with the eighth and final episode set to drop next Sunday. The consistent eight-episode structure has become a hallmark for the Sam Levinson-created drama, allowing for deep character exploration amid its signature stylish, intense storytelling.
Season 3 picks up with Zendaya’s Rue Bennett navigating life after high school, facing new challenges including debts and dangerous entanglements. The time jump moves the ensemble — including Sydney Sweeney’s Cassie, Jacob Elordi’s Nate, and Hunter Schafer’s Jules — into young adulthood, exploring themes of faith, consequence and fractured relationships in a more mature but no less chaotic setting.
HBO confirmed early that the third season would consist of eight episodes, each running approximately movie-length at around 60 to 90 minutes. This format has enabled ambitious storytelling, with some installments drawing comparisons to feature films in scope and production value.
The season opened strongly, drawing 8.5 million viewers across HBO and Max in its first three days — a notable increase from Season 2’s premiere. Early episodes like “Ándale,” “America My Dream,” and “The Ballad of Paladin” introduced high-stakes plots involving cartel dealings, chaotic weddings and personal reckonings.
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By mid-season, the show continued pushing boundaries with storylines featuring Cassie’s OnlyFans success, Rue’s deepening involvement in criminal activities, and Jules navigating life as an art school dropout. Recent episodes, including Episode 7 “Rain or Shine,” have sparked intense fan discussions around character arcs and shocking developments.
Creator Sam Levinson has described the season as the show’s strongest yet, urging fans to watch the final episodes live to avoid spoilers. “There’s some big things that happen,” he noted during recent promotional events. The ambitious scope includes longer runtimes and cinematic influences, such as references to classic films in specific episodes.
The decision to stick with eight episodes reflects HBO’s strategy for premium dramas, balancing depth with audience engagement. Previous seasons also featured eight main episodes, supplemented by holiday specials during the pandemic era. Season 3 maintains this focused approach while delivering heightened production elements.
Viewership and cultural impact remain significant. The series continues to dominate social media conversations, with hashtags related to specific episodes trending weekly. Fans have reacted strongly to shifts in character focus, including limited screen time for some favorites, prompting discussions about narrative choices.
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Critics have offered mixed but engaged responses. Some praise the visual flair and performances, particularly Zendaya’s nuanced portrayal of Rue’s ongoing struggles. Others note the heightened intensity and tonal shifts as the characters age. The season’s exploration of faith, referenced in multiple episodes, adds a new layer to the drama’s emotional core.
Production details highlight the show’s commitment to quality. Each episode features elaborate sets, costumes and soundtracks that have become signatures of the series. Composer Hans Zimmer’s involvement has been highlighted as elevating key moments.
As the season nears its conclusion, anticipation builds for the 93-minute finale titled “In God We Trust.” Levinson wrote and directed the episode, promising a fitting close to this chapter of the story. Whether the series will continue beyond Season 3 remains unconfirmed, though strong performance could open doors for future installments.
The eight-episode run has allowed for serialized storytelling that rewards dedicated viewers. Weekly releases have kept engagement high, with each new installment dropping at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and streaming simultaneously on Max. This cadence mirrors successful models used by other prestige series.
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Behind the scenes, the cast’s chemistry continues to drive the narrative. Returning stars like Zendaya, Sweeney, Elordi and Schafer anchor the ensemble, while supporting players contribute to the expanded world. Challenges such as scheduling and the time jump required careful handling to maintain continuity.
Audience reception has been robust despite the four-year gap since Season 2. The show’s ability to evolve with its characters — moving from high school turmoil to adult complexities — has resonated with both longtime fans and new viewers discovering the series.
Marketing efforts included multiple trailers showcasing the darker, more mature tone. HBO positioned Season 3 as a major event, capitalizing on the built-in anticipation following the long hiatus. Social media campaigns and cast interviews helped maintain buzz throughout the rollout.
Looking at the broader television landscape, “Euphoria” stands out for its bold approach to youth and young adult storytelling. Its influence extends beyond screens into fashion, music and cultural conversations about mental health, addiction and identity. The eight-episode structure supports this depth without overstaying its welcome in a single season.
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As Memorial Day 2026 passes, many viewers are catching up or rewatching earlier episodes ahead of the finale. Online forums and review sites show active discussions analyzing symbolism, predicting outcomes and debating character motivations. The show’s visual style continues to spark imitation and analysis.
HBO’s investment in the series reflects confidence in its staying power. With strong premiere numbers and sustained interest, Season 3 positions “Euphoria” as a flagship title for the network and streaming service. The consistent episode count provides a reliable framework for Levinson’s vision.
In the final stretch, the remaining episode promises to tie together threads involving Rue’s spiritual awakening, interpersonal conflicts and larger criminal elements. Fans hope for satisfying resolutions while bracing for the emotional intensity the series is known for.
The eight-episode season represents both a continuation and potential culmination of a cultural phenomenon. As audiences prepare for the conclusion, “Euphoria” reaffirms its place as one of television’s most talked-about dramas, delivering raw storytelling wrapped in cinematic packaging.
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Whether this marks the end or a new beginning for the franchise, Season 3’s structured yet expansive narrative has given viewers a compelling next chapter in the lives of its complex characters.
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