Dear Friends,
“Why is Easter so early this year?” “Who decides when Easter will be?” I’ve gotten those questions lately from several people. So here is one answer.
The formula for deciding Easter, which most churches follow is: the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox (Actually it is more complicated than this. See Technicalities of Easter on page 9.) Why does the moon get involved in this calculation? Jesus was crucified during Passover, which is based on the Jewish lunar calendar. However, eventually Christians wanted to separate their celebration from Passover to have a separate identity. So we came up with a different formula.
How early can Easter be? Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25. The last year that Easter fell this early was 1913! The last time Easter fell on March 22 (the earliest possible date) was 1818. The next earliest March 22 Easter will be in 2285. Most of the time Easter falls in April. Next year Easter will be on April 12.
I was also asked if Sundays are a part of Lent. No, not technically. There are 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. All Sundays are historically “mini-Easters” celebrating the resurrection of the Lord. Sundays are not fast days but feast days. So the Sundays in Lent don’t count in the 40 days of fasting and self-denial in Lent. So go ahead and have that brownie-on Sunday only.
Of course, what is important is that we personally connect with the Christ, whom God raised from the dead. My prayer is that you will have a HAPPY EASTER and that the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ may fill our lives, giving up hope and joy!
Sam
Read the entire newsletter online: The Holy Post - Mar 08 [PDF]
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