Easter on the Net - The Great Easter Date Debate

The Great Easter Date Debate

Easter is the commemoration of Jesus' resurrection, universally celebrated by Christians around the world. Although how and even when Easter is celebrated varies greatly.

Both Western Churches (Roman Catholic and Protestant) and Eastern Churches (Greek and Russian Orthodox) celebrate Easter on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox.

There are as many as five weeks between the two Easter celebrations. In the Western Church, Easter falls between late March and late April; in the Orthodox Church, it is between early April and early May.

In the 16th century, the Roman Church abandoned the Julian Calendar in favor of the Gregorian calendar. As a result, Catholic (and eventually Protestant) churches need to convert the originally Julian-based date of Easter into a Gregorian date.

Even still, it would stand to reason that the date would be the same for the two Churches, since both are based on the same Julian calendar-at least originally.

However, the two Churches also use a different system for calculating the date of the vernal equinox.

The Western Church decided to set a fixed date-March 21-for the vernal equinox and then define the full moon using ecclesiastical calculations.

The Orthodox Church, on the other hand, set the date for Easter based on the astronomical definitions of the full moon and the equinox, as they are observed along the meridian of Jerusalem.

While the Easter date debate is the most commonly cited difference between Eastern and Western Christianity, there are many other differences, as well. From the timing and content of the Easter Mass to traditional foods served at Easter, the two Churches bring their own unique take on celebrating Easter. For more on how Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox celebrate Easter, check out these articles:

Greek Orthodox Easter Customs
Russian Orthodox Easter Customs

Related Articles:
When is Easter?
The Story of Easter
Christianity and The Origins of Easter

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Comments

suburbangrandma from Delaware, US

21:14 03/05/2009

Your posts are very interesting and informative. I have linked my latest post: http://suburbangrandma.com/culture/ukrainian-easter-egg-pysanka-tradition-and-design/ to some of your posts. I hope you don't mind,since I found few more of your posts which would link nicely to some of my future posts.

Eileen Horan

10:40 03/04/2009

Why isn't Easter on March 29 this year, since the full moon is March 26? I am very curious. Thank you very much.

carol from California, US

11:49 01/18/2009

all I really wanted to know is the exact date of Easter this year,as observed on a traditional calender.....

20:55 11/26/2008

Easter and Passover are both linked to each other due to the fact that Jesus was Jewish because of that his last supper was a Passover sedar meal.

Walt from New York, US

11:02 11/20/2008

How or why is Easter associated with a full moon instead of a fixed date. Christmas is a fixed date representing Christ's birth and generally speaking it has been concluded that Christ wasn't even born in December let alone the 25th. I understand celebrating Easter on a Sunday which differs from Christmas but why not the 1st or 2nd Sunday in April or some other fixed Sunday? Is there an actual religious reason for the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon of spring?

Ray

21:26 09/06/2008

I've enjoyed Easter as a spring holiday. However, because it isn't a fixed date, often times having to celebrate the holiday in cold, snowy weather when it fell in March, as I lived in the mid-Atlantic area. An April Easter most always had warm spring weather. Today, nearly all the world uses the Gergorian calander. If it was up to me, I would work to change the holiday to a fixed date, such as the second Sunday in April.

ada

14:22 06/04/2008

but how do they celebrate easter? i am doing a project and i cant find ANY information

Mary

12:24 04/18/2008

Yes the two Easters - Eastern and Western - are calculated the same except for one important detail that the above article does not address. Jesus was Jewish and the Last Supper was the Passover Supper. The Eastern Orthodox Church recognizes this simple fact. Therefore, Jesus was not crucified before Passover. As a result, the Eastern Orthodox Easter cannot occur until after Passover. Check your calendars again.

agus

01:19 03/26/2008

whatever the differences about easter, i do not care. the most important thing: Jesus is risen! Halleluyah.

casey

00:10 03/24/2008

How often do the Eastern and Western dates for Easter land on the same date and when is the next time this will happen?

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