Why is Easter in March some years than April?

[DodgerGirl]

For many years I have always known Easter has always been traditionally in April but for some reason Easter has been put in March for some years and I cannot figure out why they have put Easter in March? Because in my eyes Easter should always be put on a certain date on Sunday in April much like Thanksgiving has always been on a Thursday in November. But if you look at the calendars for April and March Easter is either on a date like April 4th or March 20th and it used to be that when Easter was in April it was always on April 20th or April 14th or 15th but this year it shocks me that March will have Easter on the 31st and St Patrick's Day is on the 17th of March like it always has been but they should quit having Easter in March and leave Easter alone in April. I think it won't be long till we see a double whammy of both Easter and St. Patrick's Day on March 17th in a few years

 

[bsmcneil]

Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox (not unlike how Election Day is the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November).

I only know that because it was a question in my 6th grade quiz bowl (we had them 1x a week as part of homeroom) and for some reason, no one would ever bother to change the questions up. This one was worded so awkwardly that it caught my attention and, as you can see, I've never unlearned it. But yes, if the idea is that Person X was killed and resurrected, it would make sense that it would happen on Date Y ... but, Easter is historically less about that concrete action and more of a response to the pagan festivals around the time when Easter now occurs (with the spiritual lesson there but it being far from factually accurate).

ETA (thinking of the OP): Easter cannot be on March 17 due to it having to occur after the equinox. Sorry, that was the simplest answer to your post.

 

[SirDuff]

ETA (thinking of the OP): Easter cannot be on March 17 due to it having to occur after the equinox. Sorry, that was the simplest answer to your post.

Yup - range is 22-March to 25-April.

OP - not sure why you thought it was always on April 20th or April 14th or 15th. Though, it is more likely to be in April than in March (there are more possible days for it to fall in April than in March).

 

[PollyannaMom]

I do enjoy the years when it's a little later (warmer weather for Easter clothes, more time to leave the St. Patrick's Day decorations up, etc.) but post 2 explained it very well. - Easter is determined each year by astronomy, not people's whims.

 

[ozliz]

Easter is scheduled based off the lunar calendar. We have also already passed shrove Tuesday, commenced lent etc if you follow all the dates that lead up to Easter. Although that assumes you are not one of the orthodox branches of Christianity which have different dates for Christmas, Easter, etc.

 

[RedAngie]

I don’t like when Easter falls in March either. Yeah, yeah, I understand how the date is determined. But I think it should be changed to the second Sunday in April. April 8 thru 14.

Supposedly there is still some resolution in the UK Parliament from 100 years ago to change the date of Easter similar to what I suggest. It was never voted on, but was never discarded either.

 

[RedAngie]

Yup - range is 22-March to 25-April.

OP - not sure why you thought it was always on April 20th or April 14th or 15th. Though, it is more likely to be in April than in March (there are more possible days for it to fall in April than in March).

I believe if you go back hundreds of years in the past and forward hundreds of years in the future, you’ll see that Easter is likely to fall on certain dates more often than other dates.

Apparently lunar cycles tend to follow certain patterns. And leap years are an influence too.

This year’s date, March 31, is one of the most common.

 

[amcnj]

Yes, the variable date for Easter was always well known to me, even as a child. One reason was because of spring break dates for that year, and the other because it occasionally fell on the birthday of a sibling.

 

[loves to dive]

My birthday is in early April and I always hated the rotating Easter date. Once every x years it would fall on my birthday. If it was before or on my birthday, one of my presents was always an Easter dress. I was going to get an Easter dress birthday or not, so I hated having to give up a birthday present for it. For the record, I usually only got one or two presents to start with so some years, that dress was it for me. I'm a girlie girl so love a new dress but not my only present for my birthday. Most years Mama made the dress.

 

[Judique]

I love Easter's date this year because I'm having a disney trip in the week leading up to the 31st.

Sometimes later in April just gets warmer than I would prefer. And, yes I know that last week in March could be hot as well, but at least I still have some hope of more 70ties to 80ish leading up to it.

 

[Gracedis1]

Yes it is called a moveable feast because it changes due to when the moon is full. My sister's birthday is April 6 and sometimes it was on Easter. My mom would make her a bunny cake.

 

[Judique]

Yes it is called a moveable feast because it changes due to when the moon is full. My sister's birthday is April 6 and sometimes it was on Easter. My mom would make her a bunny cake.

My son has his birthday April 7th. It's been on Easter several times as he will be 40 this year.

I still have that bunny cake pan, lol!

 

[Genie+]

I guess they liked having alot of light at night the week before as they were preparing? Gotta put in those extra hours!

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Since the Sunday for Easter is based on the Lunar calendar, the dates are already well known out in the future. It's never been just April. And since Easter is only in the spring, the earliest possible date, I think, is March 22.

• 2024: March 31.
• 2025: April 20.
• 2026: April 5.
• 2027: March 28.
• 2028: April 16.
• 2029: April 1.
• 2030: April 21.
• 2031: April 13.

 

[loves to dive]

Since the Sunday for Easter is based on the Lunar calendar, the dates are already well known out in the future. It's never been just April. And since Easter is only in the spring, the earliest possible date, I think, is March 22.

• 2024: March 31.
• 2025: April 20.
• 2026: April 5.
• 2027: March 28.
• 2028: April 16.
• 2029: April 1.
• 2030: April 21.
• 2031: April 13.

Oh man, one of those dates falls on my birthday, darn it. I usually go to WDW on or near my birthday, depending on when Easter falls since I don't want to be there Easter week. My grand daughter was born 5 days after my birthday so I also have to time it so I'll be home for her birthday and also try to avoid the spring race weekend. When she gets a little older I won't try to be home for her birthday but she is only 3 right now (or will be on her birthday). Darn you Easter for making my WDW trips so hard.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Oh man, one of those dates falls on my birthday, darn it. I usually go to WDW on or near my birthday, depending on when Easter falls since I don't want to be there Easter week. My grand daughter was born 5 days after my birthday so I also have to time it so I'll be home for her birthday and also try to avoid the spring race weekend. When she gets a little older I won't try to be home for her birthday but she is only 3 right now (or will be on her birthday). Darn you Easter for making my WDW trips so hard.

Blame it on the moon.....!

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

I was ?? when I found out:
#1 1st day of spring
#2 Full moon
#3 the 1st Sunday after #1 and #2

 

[Praying Colonel]

I don’t like when Easter falls in March either. Yeah, yeah, I understand how the date is determined. But I think it should be changed to the second Sunday in April. April 8 thru 14.

Supposedly there is still some resolution in the UK Parliament from 100 years ago to change the date of Easter similar to what I suggest. It was never voted on, but was never discarded either.

Different churches used to hold Easter on different dates. One of the things decided by the Council of Nicea was a uniform date for Easter.
After the Great Schism in 1054, the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches started having Easter on different dates (the Catholic Church doesn't consider Passover in setting the date, the Orthodox church does).
More than you ever wanted to know about Easter dates.

https://study.com/blog/why-is-orthodox-easter-usually-a-different-date-than-the-catholic-one.html

 

[Babs Johnson]

I was about 50 years old before I learned that Passover and Easter are related. I just assumed that it was sheer coincidence that the dates were often close together.

The Last Supper was a Passover Seder? News to me.

My Catholic grammar school education never mentioned such things.

 

[loves to dive]

Blame it on the moon.....!

Or just horrible timing on my parents part as to when Mama got pregnant. Well, that wasn't planned, it was the 50s. All my brother's birthdays are in Oct., Nov. and Dec. (I have 5 of them) Must have been a boring summer when I was conceived.