Someone asked, why Easter is when it is, and why it moves around. I had to look this up. It is pretty complicated.
Easter is determined on the basis of lunisolar cycles. The lunar year consists of 30-day and 29-day lunar months, generally alternating, with an embolismic month added periodically to bring the lunar cycle into line with the solar cycle. In each solar year (January 1 to December 31), the lunar month beginning with an ecclesiastical new moon falling in the 29-day period from March 8 to April 5 inclusive is designated as the paschal lunar month for that year. Easter is the 3rd Sunday in the paschal lunar month, or, in other words, the Sunday after the paschal lunar month's 14th day. The 14th of the paschal lunar month is designated by convention as the Paschal full moon, although the 14th of the lunar month may differ from the date of the astronomical full moon by up to two days.[48] Since the ecclesiastical new moon falls on a date from March 8 to April 5 inclusive, the paschal full moon (the 14th of that lunar month) must fall on a date from March 21 to April 18 inclusive.
Accordingly, Gregorian Easter can fall on 35 possible dates - between March 22 and April 25 inclusive.[49] It last fell on March 22 in 1818, and will not do so again until 2285. It fell on March 23 in 2008, but will not do so again until 2160. Easter last fell on the latest possible date, April 25, in 1943 and will next fall on that date in 2038. However, it will fall on April 24, just one day before this latest possible date, in 2011. The cycle of Easter dates repeats after exactly 5,700,000 years, with April 19 being the most common date, happening 220,400 times or 3.9%.
Now if that isn't clear as mud. It sounds like for some reason, early church fathers decided that the celebration of Easter should fall within some cadence of the lunar cycle. I am not sure why, but that would explain all of the random moving around of the date. And I think we should remember that ultimately the point of Easter is that Jesus is risen. :-)
It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
My son was born on Palm Sunday, 1979. When he was 11 his birthday fell on Palm Sunday again. When he was 22 his birthday fell on Palm Sunday again. Next year he will be 33, so you would think---- but no, his birthday falls on Easter.
Yep, yep, understood every word of that! I simply check the computer (used to check the calendar!) every year to see when it is. Always hoping for April dates instead of March ones, even though Cait's too old and not home now for Easter egg hunts before church. It's nice to have a shot at warmer weather in April.
Tonia
Well, one thing is clear--all you had to do was cut and paste that blog. Easy for you, the question was answered, and it's a beautiful day in God's (cold) world. ; )
Thanks.
After reading this, all I have to say is, "Thank goodness we have calendars to tell us when Easter is and don't have to figure it out ourselves."
Post a Comment