2007-03-30 13:44:00 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Easter
I did a partial cut and paste so you can read or go to the site.
http://www.delphiforfun.org/Programs/easter.htm
Traditionally we celebrate Easter in the spring, on a Sunday, after the Spring equinox. The Church fathers, the Anglican church I believe, decided to make it the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox on March 21. The catch was that the Vernal Equinox isn't always on March 21 and determining that first full moon date was difficult. They wanted a method (an algorithm!) that was simple and would work for a long time. So they assumed that the equinox would be on March 20, and made a table of "Ecclesiastical" Full Moon (EFM) dates that was always within a few days of astronomical full moon dates but could be specified in a table of reasonable size. The first EFM after March 20 is called the Paschal Full Moon (PFM) for reasons I couldn't determine. (Oh - just ran across it - Pascha is the Hebrew name for Passover.) The first Sunday after the PFM is officially Easter in any year. The preceeding description doesn't quite seem to match this description found at a US Naval Observatory web site but may produce the same result:
2007-03-30 13:57:54 · answer #1 · answered by gimpalomg 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A quick search online would've shown you a bunch of references for this.
"Easter falls on the first Sunday following the first ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or after the day of the vernal equinox; "
2007-03-30 13:53:42 · answer #2 · answered by . 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is usually the Sunday following the first Full moon after the spring (Vernal) Equinox (21 march).
2007-03-30 13:58:14 · answer #3 · answered by Yoda 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's it! Three versions of this question on the board at one time. I officially declare this question a drinking game question.
*drink*
First Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox.
2007-03-30 18:23:20 · answer #4 · answered by KC 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The first sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox.
2007-03-31 01:01:27 · answer #5 · answered by fatboycool 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
another example of religious extremes , they cant even leave the calander alone, the native american calander had 13 moons or months, which is still true , now its called ablue moon and is stuck into a month that already has a full moon, how civilised is that.
2007-03-30 16:25:26 · answer #6 · answered by tanya w 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Others have covered the bases, but I second the drinking game one. I need brandy for this one!
--That Cheeky Lad
2007-03-31 17:09:19 · answer #7 · answered by Charles-CeeJay_UK_ USA/CheekyLad 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
simple if palm sunday is in march then easter will be the first sunday of april but if palm sunday is in april then is the second sunday
2007-03-30 14:02:26 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is determined using the ''Liturgical Calendar" you can search it on wikipedia... it is whera all Catholic events and feasts are determined. hope I helped!
2007-03-30 13:49:02 · answer #9 · answered by danver_mallari 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Linny it's all about the moon.
2007-03-30 13:57:29 · answer #10 · answered by a p 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋