So, the Paschal Full Moon is the 14th day of a lunar month occurring on or after March 21 according to a fixed set of ecclesiastical calendar rules, which does not always match the date of the astronomical full Moon nearest the astronomical spring equinox. 325) did not take into account certain lunar motions. In reference to the full Moon, Paschal refers to the date of the full Moon determined many years ago as the 14th day of a lunar month. The word “ Paschal,” which is used in the ecclesiastical (Christian church) calendar, comes from “Pascha,” a transliteration of the Aramaic word meaning “Passover.” Thus, in 2019, Easter was held on Sunday, April 21, after the full Moon on Friday, April 19. However, because the Church observes the equinox on March 21, the full Moon technically did not occur “on or just after” the equinox, meaning that the next full Moon would determine Easter’s date instead. This discrepancy between the astronomical equinox date and the Church’s observed equinox date can sometimes cause confusion, as it did in 2019, when the full Moon and the astronomical equinox occurred on the same day-Wednesday, March 20.Īccording to the formula above, this should have meant that Easter would be observed on Sunday, March 24. However, there is a caveat:Īs mentioned above, the Christian Church decided to simplify the process of calculating Easter’s date by always observing the spring equinox on March 21, despite the fact that the equinox date changes over time and is actually getting earlier. Generally, if the full Moon occurs on the same day as the spring equinox, Easter is observed on the subsequent Sunday. What Happens When the Full Moon and Spring Equinox Occur on the Same Day? So, you’ll often see this called the “ecclesiastical” equinox (i.e., the date used by the Church). In 2023, the astronomical date of the equinox is Monday, March 20. In fact, the astronomical date of the equinox can shift by a day or so. Note that the spring equinox date used by the Christian Church is always March 21 just to simplify matters. It’s because Easter is based on a lunar month (which is 29.5 days) that the date of Easter can really vary. In the Christian religion, the Last Supper (which was the final meal Jesus shared with his apostles before his crucifixion) was a Passover feast. While Christmas is fixed to a solar calendar (and near the winter solstice), Easter is based on the lunar cycles of the Jewish calendar. The second place goes to April 24 and third place goes to March 23.Įaster Sunday always occurs on the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon. What is the Paschal Full Moon? This is specifically the first Sunday following the full Moon that occurs on or after the March or spring equinox. What is the Most Unusual Easter Date?Īccording to long-term averages, the most unusual Easter date is March 22. Over a 500-year period (from 1600 to 2099 AD), it just so happens that Easter will have most often been celebrated on either March 31 or April 16. However, in the Eastern Orthodox church, the observance of Easter can occur between April 4 and May 8. In the Gregorian calendar, it is always observed on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25. (Julian calendar date converted to Gregorian)Įaster is a “movable feast,” so it doesn’t happen on the same date from year to year. In 2023, Eastern Orthodox Easter will take place on Sunday, April 16 (Julian calendar date converted to the Gregorian calendar). However, note that many Eastern Orthodox churches follow the Julian calendar rather than the Gregorian. This year, Easter Sunday will be observed on Sunday, April 9. This is based on the Gregorian calendar. The most important Christian holiday, Easter is a “movable feast.” Why does it change every year? What are the commonest and rarest Easter dates? How is the date determined? Where did the word “Easter” come from? Find answer to these questions on our everything-Easter page. Easter 2023 will be observed on Sunday, April 9.
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