Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Early Easter?
So when is Easter?
Prior to A.D. 325, Easter was variously celebrated on different days of the week, including Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In that year, the Council of Nicaea was convened by emperor Constantine. It issued the Easter Rule which states that Easter shall be celebrated on the first Sunday that occurs after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox.
As is often the case with the "Church" it is not quite that straightforward.
A caveat must be introduced here. The "full moon" in the rule is the ecclesiastical full moon, which is defined as the fourteenth day of a tabular lunation, where day 1 corresponds to the ecclesiastical New Moon. It does not always occur on the same date as the astronomical full moon. The ecclesiastical "vernal equinox" is always on March 21. Therefore, Easter must be celebrated on a Sunday between the dates of March 22 and April 25.
Does that make this one early? Between 1980 and 2024 Easter was or will be earlier on 3/26/89 and 3/23/08. It will come on 3/27/16 as well.
By comparision it will come "late" on 4/24/11 and was late on 4/23/00.
Happy Easter!
Prior to A.D. 325, Easter was variously celebrated on different days of the week, including Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In that year, the Council of Nicaea was convened by emperor Constantine. It issued the Easter Rule which states that Easter shall be celebrated on the first Sunday that occurs after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox.
As is often the case with the "Church" it is not quite that straightforward.
A caveat must be introduced here. The "full moon" in the rule is the ecclesiastical full moon, which is defined as the fourteenth day of a tabular lunation, where day 1 corresponds to the ecclesiastical New Moon. It does not always occur on the same date as the astronomical full moon. The ecclesiastical "vernal equinox" is always on March 21. Therefore, Easter must be celebrated on a Sunday between the dates of March 22 and April 25.
Does that make this one early? Between 1980 and 2024 Easter was or will be earlier on 3/26/89 and 3/23/08. It will come on 3/27/16 as well.
By comparision it will come "late" on 4/24/11 and was late on 4/23/00.
Happy Easter!
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