Who determines when easter falls or is it determined by the church calender?
2007-04-07 08:08:15 · 13 answers · asked by H2OMASTER 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
They base it off of Passover, which falls according to the Jewish calendar...
2007-04-07 08:12:14 · answer #1 · answered by XX 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Easter follows the Jewish date of Passover. The Jewish calender is lunar. The date is set as the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal or spring equinox. The difference between the Western Church and the Eastern Church has to do with the switch in Gregorian-Julian calenders.
It is not a matter of "pagan" as suggested by another answer.
2007-04-07 08:14:49 · answer #2 · answered by cnc_13023 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Since the crucifixion and resurrection happened during the Passover, Easter is celebrated during Passover. Passover starts on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan. This varies by year since the Jewish year is a lunar year and thus differs from the Gregorian calendar. This year Passover is March 25 to April 2. Easter is March 31. 2012 Passover April 6 -14 Easter April 8 2011 Passover April 18 -26 Easter April 24
2016-05-19 04:35:51 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Easter coincides with the Jewish passover which moves due to the Jewish calender only having 360 days in a year. It can be as early as late march or as late as mid-april like this year.
2007-04-07 08:13:48 · answer #4 · answered by john c 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It is based on the lunar calender, which is what the Jewish people were using at the time of Christ's crucifixion, which is why it is on the first Sunday after the first full moon after spring equinox
2007-04-07 08:13:13 · answer #5 · answered by Deus Luminarium 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
One might also recognize that it, and the rest of the holidays in holy week coincide with the days of the week that the events happened. Jesus ate the last supper on a Thursday, died on a Friday, and rose from the dead on a Sunday.
Side note:
Whether the holiday has pagan origins or not is irrelevant. The pagan gods who were celebrated have been long forgotten by most people, and Jesus Christ is worshiped and glorified every year when we celebrate His resurrection on this holiday!
2007-04-07 08:23:15 · answer #6 · answered by apologist 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Easter is one of the few feasts still based on the lunar calendar, instead of the solar one, so it's a movable feast, the date varies as the moon doesn't come full at the same time each year...
2007-04-07 08:14:47 · answer #7 · answered by beatlefan 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Peter Rabbit.
2007-04-07 08:34:07 · answer #8 · answered by sunkissed 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It falls on different dates, because it's always on Sundays and the Church has to find a new date closest to the original that is Sunday (the dates change every year on the calendar)
2007-04-07 08:12:32 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 5⤋
because easter falls on the first sunday of every year
2007-04-07 08:18:36 · answer #10 · answered by mystic 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋