EASTER - DETERMINING ITS DATE
The Western Churches
Agreed at the Council of Nicea, 325 AD
Easter is a moveable feast.
It falls on a different day every year.
Easter is Always on the first Sunday after the first full moon
that falls on or after March 22.
This full moon is also called the Paschal Full Moon
and also the Spring Equinox.
Why is Easter based on the Paschal Full Moon?
Passover occured at this full moon.
The Last Supper occured at the Passover --- Holy Thursday , when
celebrated by Jesus and the Apostles.
Since Jesus resurrected on the Sunday after that Passover,
Easter was always the Sunday after Passover in celebration of the Resurrection.
The Paschal Moon can fall on different days in different world time zones, of course.
But the Church wants to celebrate Easter at the same time all over the world... So...
It does not use the exact date of the Paschal Moon, but an approximation.
To calculate, the full moon is set at the 14th day of the Lunar month -- the Lunar Month
begins with the new moon. Also, the Church sets the date of the Sping Equinox at March 21.
These two approximations allow the Church to set a universal date for Easter.
Easter can occur from March 22 to April 25.
SO... Easter is established by the Paschal Full Moon and has nothing to do with Passover.
The Council of Nicea wanted to separate the celebration of Christ's Resurrection from the
Jewish celebration os Passover.
Some Christians in the early fourth century were calculating the date of Easter according to the Jewish calendar,
while others believed it needed to be calculated separately.
The Council of Nicaea agreed with the latter group.
While Easter and Passover were related historically, and theologically, the Council declared that the connection between the two holidays ended with the Death and Resurrection of Christ.
Why? Because Christ is the new Paschal Lamb, of Whom the lamb sacrificed at Passover was just a sign or symbol.
That symbol found its completion in the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. Thus, the continued celebration of the Jewish Passover has no theological significance for Christians, because Christ is our Passover Lamb.
(The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates using the Julian Calendar and so Easter falls on a different day.
We use the Gregorian Calendar)
Fran