Why Easter Date Changes Every Year: Origin, History of Resurrection of Christ Holiday
Easter holiday is celebrated with great enthusiasm across the world. The spring holiday honours the resurrection of Jesus Christ and this year the Easter holiday is on April 20.
The date of Easter holiday changes every year, and thus it is called the movable fear. This change in date is because of lunar cycle and vernal equinox. This year the first vernal equinox is scheduled before April 20 and that is the reason why Easter will fall on this date. Easter is an important day for followers of Roman Catholicism and it comes after almost six weeks of religious observance, which is called lent. During Lent period, people fast for 40 days. Once this period is over, Easter comes, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
According the United States Naval Observatory (USNO), "The date for Easter shifts every year within the Gregorian Calendar. The Gregorian calendar is the standard international calendar for civil use. In addition, it regulates the ceremonial cycle of the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches. The current Gregorian ecclesiastical rules that determine the date of Easter trace back to 325 CE at the First Council of Nicaea convened by the Roman Emperor Constantine. At that time the Roman world used the Julian Calendar (put in place by Julius Caesar)."
Gregorian calendar replaced Julian calendar in 1582. Today, all the Christian churches follow Gregorian calendar, though there are still some Orthodox eastern churches who use Julian calendar.
The Gregorian calendar says that Easter can fall anytime between March 22 and April 25, while according to Julian calendar, Easter can be celebrated anytime between April 4 and May 8. This year, the Easter date of both Julian and Gregorian calendars is falling on the same day.
Easter also marks the advent of spring, as thus it is also called a spring holiday. On this day, kids go on Easter eggs hunts. Moreover, eggs are decorated and chocolate bunnies and marshmallow chicks are eaten.
Share with us your plans for Easter holiday.