Is the christian church also using a lunar calendar?
2007-02-20 16:13:14 · 7 answers · asked by CJ 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Pretty much. It depends on the date for Easter. As you know - the Eastern Churches figure the date differently, based on the Julian rather than Gregorian Calendar. In Western Christianity, Easter always falls on a Sunday from March 29 to April 25 inclusive.
The ecclesiastical rules are:
Easter falls on the first Sunday following the first ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or after March 21 (the day of the ecclesiastical vernal equinox).
This particular ecclesiastical full moon is the 14th day of a tabular lunation (new moon).
2007-02-20 16:19:41 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you look at history, this is not likely the actual time of year that all this took place back in Jesus' time. The crucifixion was actually "moved" to coincide with the the spring equinox, or Ostara. It was the pagan holiday signifying the end of winter, and the rebirth of life on the planet. This made it easier for pagans of the Roman Empire to transition from their old religion to new found christianity under Constantine.
Ever wonder why there are easter eggs, bunnies,chicks, and lambs associated with easter? This is typically the time of year when they are born.
The birth of Christ was also likely not during the part of the year it is celebrated in modern times. It is right around the time of the winter solstice, another major pagan holiday. Many of the symbols used at christmas were pagan symbols used to celebrate this shortest day of the year, and the suns "return to the earth". It also falls around the same time that a pagan god was to be "reborn" that died around the time of Halloween.
2007-02-20 16:28:49 · answer #2 · answered by ? 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Easter will ALWAYS fall on a Sunday. The date will be different each year. Western Christianity (which uses the Gregorian Calendar)----Easter is observed on the Sunday after the first full moon on or after the day of the vernal equinox. Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches use the Julian Calendar and the date for Easter may diverge from our Easter date.
2016-05-24 00:58:02 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yep
For both Easter and Lent and Good Friday and all the other things EXCEPT Christmas!
That's fixed.
Dont' ask why. It came from Constantine and his congress!
Everyone GOES along with it, except the Eastern Orthodox who use a similar but different method.
2007-02-20 16:43:01 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The start of Lent is based on the date of Easter, which is still based on the original Jewish system of calculating the Passover celebration, which is based on the phase of the moon.
It's complicated, but it works.
2007-02-20 20:31:00 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
So from that Sunday, count back forty non-Sundays. The Wednesday you land on is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.
2007-02-20 16:29:36 · answer #6 · answered by Doc Occam 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
yup, you guessed it - many christian holidays occur on a day prescribed upon the cycles of the moon
2007-02-20 16:17:40 · answer #7 · answered by special-chemical-x 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋