The time of Easter...
So Ostara, as usual, will fall on or about March 20th.
Easter, however, doesn't fall until April 24th. Why?
I asked the same question and started poking about Google results. Here is one of the more concise answers:
Twice a year, around March 21 and September 23, the sun shines directly on the equator and the length of day and night are nearly equal everywhere in the world. These two days are known as the vernal (or spring) equinox and the autumnal equinox.
The vernal equinox also coincides with Easter and the holidays that are related to it. They are moveable feasts that do not fall on a fixed date in the Gregorian or Julian calendars. The dates of many Christian holidays depend on the Easter date. Some of these holidays include Palm Sunday, Holy or Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Ascension Day and Pentecost (also called Whitsunday).
In the New Testament of the Bible, Jesus’ death and resurrection occurred around the time of the Jewish Passover, which was celebrated on the first full moon following the vernal equinox. Early sources showed that this soon led to Christians around the world celebrating Easter on different dates. At the end of the second century, some churches celebrated Easter on the day of the Passover, while others celebrated it on the following Sunday.
In 325CE the Council of Nicaea established that Easter would be held on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the vernal equinox. From that point forward, the Easter date depended on the ecclesiastical approximation of March 21 for the vernal equinox. Easter is delayed one week if the full moon is on Sunday, which decreases the chances of it falling on the same day as the Jewish Passover.
The latest date for Easter is April 25th. This last occurred in 1943 and won't happen again until 2028.
The earliest date for Easter is March 22. This last occurred in 1818 and won't happen again until 2285.
And more information in this article, written in 2008, with a bit more detail on the doings of the churches.
I was just filling in dates on our wall calendar and decided to add some of the full moon dates.
The March full moon this year falls before the Vernal Equinox (Ostara) by 1 day - March 19th. Therefore, the fourth full moon of the year, and therefore, the first full moon following the equinox, falls on April 18th (a Monday), which leads Easter Sunday to fall on April 24th.
I'm good with the dates. My dad is away during his birthday, and what would normally be an Easter weekend dinner with the family. This way, he and my step mom will be back in time for a family meal at the end of April.
Easter, however, doesn't fall until April 24th. Why?
I asked the same question and started poking about Google results. Here is one of the more concise answers:
Twice a year, around March 21 and September 23, the sun shines directly on the equator and the length of day and night are nearly equal everywhere in the world. These two days are known as the vernal (or spring) equinox and the autumnal equinox.
The vernal equinox also coincides with Easter and the holidays that are related to it. They are moveable feasts that do not fall on a fixed date in the Gregorian or Julian calendars. The dates of many Christian holidays depend on the Easter date. Some of these holidays include Palm Sunday, Holy or Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Ascension Day and Pentecost (also called Whitsunday).
In the New Testament of the Bible, Jesus’ death and resurrection occurred around the time of the Jewish Passover, which was celebrated on the first full moon following the vernal equinox. Early sources showed that this soon led to Christians around the world celebrating Easter on different dates. At the end of the second century, some churches celebrated Easter on the day of the Passover, while others celebrated it on the following Sunday.
In 325CE the Council of Nicaea established that Easter would be held on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the vernal equinox. From that point forward, the Easter date depended on the ecclesiastical approximation of March 21 for the vernal equinox. Easter is delayed one week if the full moon is on Sunday, which decreases the chances of it falling on the same day as the Jewish Passover.
The latest date for Easter is April 25th. This last occurred in 1943 and won't happen again until 2028.
The earliest date for Easter is March 22. This last occurred in 1818 and won't happen again until 2285.
And more information in this article, written in 2008, with a bit more detail on the doings of the churches.
I was just filling in dates on our wall calendar and decided to add some of the full moon dates.
The March full moon this year falls before the Vernal Equinox (Ostara) by 1 day - March 19th. Therefore, the fourth full moon of the year, and therefore, the first full moon following the equinox, falls on April 18th (a Monday), which leads Easter Sunday to fall on April 24th.
I'm good with the dates. My dad is away during his birthday, and what would normally be an Easter weekend dinner with the family. This way, he and my step mom will be back in time for a family meal at the end of April.