Easter Dates
It has always been a puzzle when it comes to celebrating Easter. Every year, although, Easter does fall on a Sunday, the date of Easter keeps changing. It isnt the name with Christmas or the New Year. Christmas happens every year on the 25th of December and New Year on January 1st. So why is Easter different What makes Easter, the one festival of the Christians change every year Of course, it has been noticed that Easter does fall anytime between the months of March and April, not later than April 25th as statistics show. But there is where the period ends. There is no definite date for Easter. It changes every year and the Easter date is informed to us by our churches at the beginning of a New Year.
When I persisted upon this investigation further, I came to realize that these sciences and mathematics were as divine as the plan of the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It made me wonder about the three kings and their rich gifts for the new born babe that lay in a manger. Those three kings, according to the Essenes and Historians were Astrologers also known as The Magi who followed a star to the birth place of Jesus Christ! Astrology and Astronomy prevailed at that time and this is no secret but a profound truth down the ages, distorted for different reasons.
The birthday of Jesus Christ celebrated so widely around the world on the 25th of December has been registered to be questionable based on the facts of the scientists and historians. However, Easter stands based on the calendars presented by the ancient Jews who wrote their calendar based on the lunar phases. Easter resurrects not just the Living Lord himself but the submerged history of the hidden mysteries of Astrology and Astronomy.
Lets find out more about the Easter Dates.
The history behind the easter dates
Churches all over the world have celebrated Easter dates on different before AD325 and Easter did not always fall on a Sunday! This of course has been a source of embarrassment to the Christians and an issue that continues to be addressed by our Pope, but later on that. The Sunday became a standard day of the week as ordained by the Council of Nicea, thereby reducing some confusion. However, many methods were till a method by Dionyisius Exiguus became the standard method around AD532. This method faced trouble becoming popular, but was finally resolved with the support of the Venerable Bede in his De Temporum Ratione in AD 725.
The gregorian calendar
This system was further worked upon by Aloisius (1576) and became the foundation of the Gregorian Calendar which also contained the tables that came to confirm the date of Easter each year. However these tables were lightly rectified by Christopher Clavius, one of the main supporters of the Gregorian calendar. These dates clarified the dates of Easter in the West ever since 1583. These tables form the base of all algorithms calculating the dates of Easter.
However many places in the world failed to use the Gregorian calendar for determining the date of Easter in October 1852 and hence the times different till they started using this Calendar. Besides a few countries, although changed to using this calendar, nevertheless used various definition of Easter based on the observations made by Tycho Brahe. This lasted for a long time in these countries.
One astounding fact in this Gregorian calendar is that the cycle of Easter repeats every 5,700,000 years! With the algorithms application, one can find this frequency! Amazing isnt it
Various algorithms
Algorithms have been used in different ways by both the Orthodox and Western cultures. The Western tradition after 1852 uses the Algorithm to calculate the date of Easter each year. This calculation appeared to have been published by an unknown author in Nature of 1876. This kind of algorithm uses integer math to calculate. The Algorithm as per the Gregorian calendar is valid for all years beginning from 1852.
Carters Algorithm is a simpler way of calculating the date of Easter and its validity exists from 1900 to 2099. Oudins algorithm, as modified by Doggett is easily applicable and valid after AD 1583. Yet another easy-to-use application is Mallens. However, it is guaranteed that certain published means of calculation is valid for all years.Yes, there are discrepancies even in Science, but the learning and the researching still continue.
Validation of algorithms for the future
This said the validity of fixing the date of Easter dates using such applications and ways is questionable. The main factor for this is that the length of each day is increasing and the number of days in a year is slowly decreasing. This only renders the fact that the Gregorian calendar may have to skip a leap year later in the later millenniums!
Yet, the simplification of such a matter is possible, as Pope John XXIII discussed the fact that Easter can be fixed for a particular Sunday and can fall anywhere between April 8th to April 14th. This statement is gaining approval from several heads of churches. The Encyclopaedeia Brittanica seems to favor the second Sunday in April. This kind of fixing may need the feasts to be moved over but not beyond 7 dates. It is here one finds that the suggestion of astronomical measurements be applied of the Vernal Equinox as well as the Full Moon at the Jerusalem meridian in fixing the Easter date.
Easter and the paschal full moon
What is further determining in the Easter dates is the fact that Easter falls on the Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon. This Full Moon may come about any time between March 21 and April 18. Hence Easter can fall any time between March 22nd and April 25th of a year. The date of this full moon is calculated from tables and may occur up to two days before the actual full moon. Remember the date of Easter is not based on local observations otherwise it would become possible to different parts of the world to celebrate Easter on different dates in any current year.
Passover and the easter dates
In the past, Passover had been calculated through observations of the Moon and the Vernal Equinox. But this soon ended with the standardization of the Hebrew Calendar in the 4th century, thereby not allowing the celestial factor into the picture of fixing the date of the Passover. With the arrival of the Gregorian Calendar in 1852 in the Western system, this connected once again the astronomical events with relation to Passover and Easter and thus the discrepancy of a week or even a month can be found between Orthodox (Julian) and Gregorian.
The discrepancies and discussions continue regarding Easter dates but it is in the process of discovering and learning. What is important to note is that Spirituality is as much as a part of Science and Mathematics too. If these two divergent natures are brought together to bring about the wondrous event of Easter for people on Earth, what stops us today in continuing to divide that which the Unseen Power hath joined together Easter and Astronomy, Easter and Astrology, Easter and Mathematics As I say this, the words of Einstein continue to ring in my mind Everything is relative and so it is, brethren, so it is!
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