Easter is one of the most significant holidays to the Christian and Orthodox Christian faiths. However, Western Christian churches and many Orthodox Christian churches observe on different calendars. Depending upon the observed calendar, the two observe Easter on varying dates. This year, both fall on Easter Sunday falls on April 20. That begs the question, is there a rhyme or reason to picking this meaningful date?
Well, the answer is yes, but of course there is a complex and mathematical explanation. In simple terms, Easter falls on the first Sunday after the Paschal New Moon. Since the lunar calendar differs with the solar calendar, this means that Easter can fall anywhere from March 22 to April 25 in Western Christianity. This way of determining Easter was decided on during the Nicean Council of 325 A.D.
To sum this up, Easter falls from one to seven days after the paschal full moon. If the paschal full moon occurs on a Sunday, Easter will fall on the next Sunday.
If the paschal full moon happens on the same day as the vernal equinox (March 21)- and that day just so happens to be a Saturday- then Easter will fall on March 22, the earliest possible day for Easter. The last time this happened was in 1818 and won’t occur again until 2285. The last time Easter fell on April 25 (the last day possible for Easter) was in 1943 because the paschal full moon fell on March 20, before the equinox. The next paschal full moon after the equinox fell on April 18, making April 25 Easter Sunday. This will not occur again until 2038.
The paschal full moon, also referred to as the “pink moon” because of its reddish appearance, occurred on April 14, early April 15. That is why Easter Sunday will happen on April 20, 6 days after this lunar event.
For a more detailed formula on how this is calculated each year, click here.
Western Christianity recognizes this week leading up to Easter Sunday as the Holy Week. It signifies Jesus Christ’s last week alive, when he was prosecuted, arrested and crucified by the Romans. Some Christians participate in Lent, or some sort of fasting up until Easter. On Easter Sunday, Christians believe Jesus Christ rose from the dead and this day also signifies the end of Lent.
The Friday before Easter Sunday is referred to as Good Friday. In Richland County, many churches are holding a Good Friday service today and Easter Egg hunts on Saturday. For a list of these churches and organizations holding egg hunts tomorrow, visit Richland Source’s calendar.
