Why the heck does Easter jump around?

[Frustrated Father]

Okay, so family plans being made, then having friends/guests over too. Me, I figure hey, Easter is in April!

So ... why in the hell is it in March this year, and more to the point, why the hell does it jump around?2007
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Sunday, April 8th 2008
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Sunday, March 23rd 2009
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Sunday, April 12th 2010
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Sunday, April 4th

[Moavoamoatu]

Because of bunnies........

[Moavoamoatu]

More seriously,
Easter and the holidays that are related to it are moveable feasts, in that they do not fall on a fixed date in the Gregorian or Julian calendars (both of which follow the cycle of the sun and the seasons). Instead, the date for Easter is determined on a lunisolar calendar, as is the Hebrew calendar.
In Western Christianity, Easter always falls on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25 inclusively. The following day, Easter Monday, is a legal holiday in many countries with predominantly Christian traditions. In the Julian calendar used by Eastern Christianity, Easter also always falls on a Sunday from March 22 to April 25 inclusive, which in the Gregorian calendar, due to the 13 day difference between the calendars between 1900 and 2099, are dates from April 4 to May 8 inclusive.
The precise date of Easter has at times been a matter for contention.

[lauth81]

normally, the day is computed like this (in western christianity):

easter sunday is the sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox (march 20th or 21th ).

(however, this is th church version of full moon, not the astronomical one, but they differ only about a day at most currently)

[supervike]

Kind of cool, but Easter hasn't fallen on this early of a date since 1913, which also fell on the 23rd of March. And going back on the calender...

23rd March 1856
23rd March 1845


You'd have to go clear back to 1818 to find an Earlier Easter date...(Mar 22).

Kind of interesting, but seeing how I gave up religion for lent, I shouldn't really care....

[goblyn13]

And for those that really wanna know:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter

the great know-it-all on the web

[Frustrated Father]

Appreciate the info folks, cause I was a touch clueless on this one and more than a bit miffed about the date and how it was interfering with a few other things already in the planning!

:D

[lizcam]

I still think it's because of bunnies.

[supervike]

Appreciate the info folks, cause I was a touch clueless on this one and more than a bit miffed about the date and how it was interfering with a few other things already in the planning!

:D


There is always the possiblity that the Catholic Church planned these dates out years ago, just to screw with you.

[goblyn13]

There is always the possiblity that the Catholic Church planned these dates out years ago, just to screw with you.

I knew the Church was out to get me. And my little dog too...

[lauth81]

There is always the possiblity that the Catholic Church planned these dates out years ago, just to screw with you.

in a certain way they did ... they made that formula centuries ago and basic math can compute the easter days for the whole future ...

[thewartoad]

You guys put to much thought into this. It's a Catholic holiday that will always fall on a Sunday. And being raised as a Roman Catholic, and living next to NOTRE DAME all my life...there's not alot of talk about what date/month it should or should not fall on.