How Easter's date is determined - educational

[kelel01 1]

I learned something new today! Read:

Quote

Unlike other traditional holidays, such as Christmas, which always falls on Dec. 25, the date of Easter Sunday can vary widely from year to year. Thanksgiving is always the 4th Thursday of November and its’ date can vary as much as a week from year to year. Easter is different from those holidays. (Related: More of Steve's Columns )

In 2004, Easter was on April 11, whereas this year it’s on March 27, which is our earliest Easter since 1989, when it fell on March 26.

Do you ever wonder how Easter Sunday is determined from year to year? There are two key events that determine this — the vernal equinox or the start of spring, and the full moon.

Easter always falls on the Sunday following the full moon that occurs immediately after the vernal equinox. For example, this year the full moon that’s after the equinox is on March 25 and the Sunday following it is March 27, making it Easter Sunday.

Last year, Easter fell on April 11 because the full moon after the vernal equinox was April 5 and the Sunday following it was April 11, making it Easter.

The variability from year to year is caused by the fact that one complete cycle of the moon is about 29-and-a-half days. This means that the full moon after the spring equinox occurrence won’t be the same from year to year in relationship to the date of the equinox.

In fact, the range of dates that Easter can fall on is as early as March 22 and as late as April 25. It won’t be until the year 2038 that we have an Easter on April 25. It won’t occur on March 22 until after 2100. The closest we come to having it occur on either of those extreme dates are in the year 2008, when Easter will be on March 23 and it’ll be on April 24 in 2011.
Next year, Easter will be quite late again, falling on April 16.

Maybe I'm the only one who finds that interesting.

[ScubaSteve 0]

It is probably because Easter holiday is older than our current calander. Or brought over from another calander system. Just a guess.

[2fat2fly 0]

My wife's bday is April 14th and she's mentioned that it's been before and after, but never on Easter. I'll have to cut and paste this to mail her. Can anyone tell me if/when Easter will fall on April 14. It might make her think that I'm smarter than I am.

I am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried

[kelel01 1]

You'll need an almanac or something to determine it.

[Brains 2]

Quote

My wife's bday is April 14th and she's mentioned that it's been before and after, but never on Easter. I'll have to cut and paste this to mail her. Can anyone tell me if/when Easter will fall on April 14. It might make her think that I'm smarter than I am.

April 14, 1974 Was Easter. I know because it is my GF's B-day too and she said she was born on Easter.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[Remster 24]

Without going into a whole religion debate, what I find really cool about all this is that the most relegious day of the christian calandar (well, maybe its a tie with Chrismas) is based on pagan rituals: equinox and full moons....

Remster

[ScubaSteve 0]

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/easter.html

[Brains 2]

Quote

Without going into a whole religion debate, what I find really cool about all this is that the most relegious day of the christian calandar (well, maybe its a tie with Chrismas) is based on pagan rituals: equinox and full moons....

shut up you heathen!!

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[Remster 24]

Philistine!

Remster

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

Quote

Without going into a whole religion debate, what I find really cool about all this is that the most relegious day of the christian calandar (well, maybe its a tie with Chrismas) is based on pagan rituals: equinox and full moons....

The simple explanation to this: It made it easier to evangalize the Pagans by tossing some holy water on their pre-existing celebrations.

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[Conundrum 1]

My first bday was on Easter and it was on Easter last year.

[2fat2fly 0]

Quote

Quote

April 14, 1974 Was Easter. I know because it is my GF's B-day too and she said she was born on Easter.

Liz was born in '75 so I'll have to tell her that she missed it by a year.

I am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried

• Quote

[masterrig 1]

... and fertility!


Chuck

[2fat2fly 0]

Found it, April 14 in 2047-thanks to the naval observatory

I am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried

[Buried 0]

and if you are orthordox easter isn't until May this year!

Where is my fizzy-lifting drink?

[nanook 1]

So you were born on april 11, 1981. (i'm bored

_____________________________

"The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you can never know if they are genuine" - Abraham Lincoln

[happythoughts 0]

A thousand years ago, if you were the guy who could figure out when agriculture should be done, you had two choices.

A. Explain seasonal planetary movement to people who think trees whisper to them and spirits live in the streams.

B. Tell them that (insert deity) told them so.

There was planting (Easter), harvest celebrations (Halloween), winter solstice (Yule, Hannukah, Christmas, Midwinter, Saturnalia, Winter Solstice).

[SkiD_PL8 0]

I bet that stirs up some shit.

Greenie in training.

[happythoughts 0]

Quote

I bet that stirs up some shit.

What evuh do you mean, suh?

The main failure of Protestants is their lack of good hats. Muslims, Jews, and Catholics have excellent hats. The Norse gods have hats with horns, that makes them religious-fashion icons.

Protestant preachers don't have the cool hats, but on the upside, at least they don't have to wear dresses like the rest of them.

[skybill 18]

Hi 01,
So big deal with Easter's swinging schedule!! It also swings the "Mardi Gras" schedule from early Feb. to early Mar!!! Interestingly the beginning of the "Carnivalle season (farewell to flesh)" begins on a fixed church holiday that of the Epifihiany (sp???) on 06JAN when the 3 "wise men" came to visit the baby Jesus!! Carnival is the whole season from 06Jan (the Epithiny (sp?????????????) to 2400 on Lundigras. Mardi Gras is the day by it self- Mardi-Tuesday, Gras-Fat thus "Fat Tuesday, the last day that meat can be eaten before Lent starts!! I love the story as told by the old folks that the "Church" told the Pesants that they couldn't eat any meat for 40 days before Easter. They complained to the Church, "What are you trying to do, Kill us? We have to toil for the King in the fields!! No meat and we will starve!! So, OK, for 40 days before Lent, we gona party and eat plenty meat so we can make it thru Lent!!" Hence the Carnival (farewell to the Flesh ) season culminated with "Mardi Gras!!" (Fat Tuesday!!" There is also the co-incidence with some other pagan festivals that occur at that time!! Any way, meet me at Pat O'Brians for a Hurricane during Mardi Gras!! Toss in a dozen or two Oysters on the 1/2 shell and a couple of DIXIE BEER's!!

SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

[ltdiver 3]

Quote

Maybe I'm the only one who finds that interesting.

Rest assured, you're not the only one....

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[ltdiver 3]

Quote

Quote

My wife's bday is April 14th and she's mentioned that it's been before and after, but never on Easter. I'll have to cut and paste this to mail her. Can anyone tell me if/when Easter will fall on April 14. It might make her think that I'm smarter than I am.

April 14, 1974 Was Easter. I know because it is my GF's B-day too and she said she was born on Easter.

Maybe your girlfriend is older than his wife.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon