The Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) set the date of Easter as the Sunday following the paschal full moon, which is the full moon that falls on or after the vernal (spring) equinox. We know that Easter must always occur on a Sunday, because Sunday was the day of Christ's Resurrection. But why the paschal full moon? Because that was the date of Passover in the Jewish calendar, and the Last Supper (Holy Thursday) occurred on the Passover. Therefore, Easter was the Sunday after Passover.
The Church does not use the exact date of the paschal full moon but an approximation, because the paschal full moon can fall on different days in different time zones, which would mean that the date of Easter would be different depending on which time zone you live in. For calculation purposes, the full moon is always set at the 14th day of the lunar month (the lunar month begins with the new moon). Likewise, the Church sets the date of the vernal equinox at March 21, even though it can occur on March 20. Both approximations allow the Church to set a universal date for Easter.
Still, Easter isn't celebrated universally on that date. While Western Christians use the Gregorian calendar (the calendar that's used throughout the West today, in both the secular and religious worlds) to calculate the date of Easter, the Eastern Orthodox continue to use the older, astronomically inaccurate Julian calendar. Currently, March 21 on the Julian calendar falls on April 3 in the Gregorian calendar. Therefore, for the Orthodox, the Sunday following the 14th day of the paschal full moon has to fall after April 3, hence the discrepancy in the date of Easter.
Why are we doing this again so soon?
ReplyDeleteIt's my job.
DeleteWhy does it take so long to get an answer?
ReplyDeleteEven though I average 5 hours of sleep, I am usually in dreamland when you write your questions.
DeleteWhy?
DeleteAnd have you opened a can of worms here?
...just because...
Deleteand I have opened a can of worms (before I went to work) but they have all crawled away now.
What's the Yiddish word for bedbug?
ReplyDeleteוואַנץ, vants. It can refer both to an actual bedbug or to a loathesome, repellant person.
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DeleteAre we there yet?
ReplyDeleteNo...take a nap, when you wake up, we'll be there.
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DeleteYes...I'm just trying to find a parking space.
DeleteWhat is the formula for determining the date of Easter Sunday on a given year?
ReplyDeleteThe Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) set the date of Easter as the Sunday following the paschal full moon, which is the full moon that falls on or after the vernal (spring) equinox.
DeleteWe know that Easter must always occur on a Sunday, because Sunday was the day of Christ's Resurrection. But why the paschal full moon? Because that was the date of Passover in the Jewish calendar, and the Last Supper (Holy Thursday) occurred on the Passover. Therefore, Easter was the Sunday after Passover.
The Church does not use the exact date of the paschal full moon but an approximation, because the paschal full moon can fall on different days in different time zones, which would mean that the date of Easter would be different depending on which time zone you live in. For calculation purposes, the full moon is always set at the 14th day of the lunar month (the lunar month begins with the new moon). Likewise, the Church sets the date of the vernal equinox at March 21, even though it can occur on March 20. Both approximations allow the Church to set a universal date for Easter.
Still, Easter isn't celebrated universally on that date. While Western Christians use the Gregorian calendar (the calendar that's used throughout the West today, in both the secular and religious worlds) to calculate the date of Easter, the Eastern Orthodox continue to use the older, astronomically inaccurate Julian calendar. Currently, March 21 on the Julian calendar falls on April 3 in the Gregorian calendar. Therefore, for the Orthodox, the Sunday following the 14th day of the paschal full moon has to fall after April 3, hence the discrepancy in the date of Easter.
Thank you, Mr. Q. It is all very clear to me, now.
DeleteWhat have I got in my pocket?
ReplyDeleteNothing. You're flat broke.
DeleteDoctor Who?
ReplyDeleteDoctor "Whom".
DeleteWhat must I do to inherit eternal life?
ReplyDeleteBelieve on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.
DeleteOh and in case you're a wealthy, whippersnapper guv'ner, sell all that you have, and distribute it to the poor.
DeleteDid you think that the previous question was going to be the last question?
ReplyDeleteWas it not?
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