Believers sacredly honor all church holidays and try to observe the customs and traditions that concern them. Among such important holidays of Orthodoxy we can highlight Easter, which is considered almost the greatest and most significant event for the entire Orthodox people!

Easter is celebrated, of course, in every home. The celebration takes place everywhere, in principle, the same way, and people from childhood learn the traditions and rituals that are supposed to be observed on Easter days. There is only one thing not everyone knows about Easter - why is the celebration held at different times every year, what does the date of Easter depend on and why does it constantly change?!

Why does the date of Easter change every year?

Initially, the celebration of Easter was dedicated to the resurrection of Jesus Christ himself. The event became very important and significant in the church calendar. In ancient times, people did not have calendars like ours and strictly calculated the day of celebration according to the movement of the main sanctuaries - the Sun and the Moon. Today, nothing has changed in this regard, and the clergy are still guided by the satellite of our planet and the “hottest” star!

Traditionally, the day of the week on which Easter begins falls on Sunday. Only the month and, of course, the date can never be predicted, since they are calculated according to a certain scheme, which is known only to a certain circle of people.

How do you find out the date of Easter?

To calculate when such a grandiose event as Easter will happen in a given year, it is necessary to find out on what day the first resurrection falls, which will follow the very first full moon, which occurs immediately after the spring equinox. It is on this day that the relative position of the Sun and the Moon is special and they fall into it only on the Easter holiday, the date of which can vary between March 22 and April 25, according to the Julian calendar. If you look at the Gregorian calendar, then this period falls exclusively in the interval from April 7 to May 8. Please note that Easter is always celebrated in the spring, when after winter all living things bloom and wake up!

The Easter period was established back in 325 by the meeting of the ecumenical council in Nicaea, and before that the celebration took place on the day of the full moon in the month of March. And this holiday had a slightly different interpretation; it was connected not with Jesus Christ, but with the history of slavery of the Jewish people, or rather, liberation from it.

Is it possible to calculate the day of Easter yourself?

A modern person can easily calculate the date of the holiday on his own! In order to make this difficult process accessible to everyone, today simple tables have been developed - they are called “Easter eggs”, which, through simple steps, allow you to perform all the calculations!

It is also easy to calculate other Orthodox holidays that are no less important than Easter. This is both Pentecost and Trinity. Although those who are more intelligent by nature can simply look at the astronomical calendar and decide on the date of Easter, only by finding out when the full moon phase begins, counting from March 21!

25.04.2016

There are holidays, the dates of which are clear and understandable: New Year, for example, or Christmas. And a hundred years ago, and a century later, we will celebrate them at a strictly defined time. But for some reason Easter is celebrated every year on different days and stands out from the orderly ranks. What is the reason for this phenomenon? It turns out that Easter is “tied” not to the solar, but to the lunar calendar.

The first spring full moon follows the vernal equinox, and Easter should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon. The lunar calendar is slightly different from the solar one. Thus, the “lunar year” lasts only 354 days, and the periods of the full moon occur every 29 days. Naturally, each year the first full moon will fall on a different date. Usually the equinox falls on March 21, so Easter cannot come to us earlier than April 4, nor can it be delayed later than May 8.

The celebration of Easter has ancient traditions, initially associated not with the resurrection of Christ, but with some customs and rituals that existed among cattle breeders and farmers. Then the Jews began to celebrate their Easter, thus cementing in the people's memory the day of liberation of the Jews from Egyptian rule. This Easter was widely celebrated on the night of the 14th to 15th of the first lunar month. There was a custom to make a sacrifice in honor of the event: to slaughter and cook a young lamb (lamb), which the family ate whole.

Later, the world's idea of ​​Easter changed. Christ started the change. At the Last Supper, he predicted that he would be sacrificed to people, that he was destined to suffer a terrible execution. He seemed to replace the sacrificial lamb in the minds of people. During the first full moon, Christ was crucified, and on the third day after the tragedy he was resurrected. This day began to be called Sunday, and since then Easter has been celebrated on the first Sunday following the first spring full moon.

It is interesting that recently the church, feeling the inconvenience of such a “floating” date, has been making attempts to assign a specific day to Easter, so that Christians all over the world celebrate the big holiday together at the same time. Thus, in 1997, at the summit of the World Council of Churches, a proposal was made to assign Easter to the second Sunday of April. The Orthodox world had to prepare for the reform scheduled for 2001. However, it was not possible to reach a consensus on this issue, and Easter is still celebrated on different days every year.

Perhaps this is correct: there are ancient traditions, the change of which requires long-term painstaking work with the consciousness of people. Complete rejection of the new and even protest is possible. Maybe it's better to leave things as they are. Let people know: in our constantly fluctuating, unstable world, there is still something reliable that has always been and will always be. And may we continue to celebrate Easter on different spring days every year. The essence of a bright, joyful holiday does not change from this.

Easter is usually celebrated on one of the Sundays in the spring. Why can this great holiday be celebrated at different times every year?

Jewish and Christian Passover

Initially, the celebration of Christian Easter was closely related to the date of the celebration of the Jewish Passover. It was celebrated not according to the solar calendar, but according to the Jewish lunar calendar.

The essence of the Jewish Passover is that it is dedicated to the miraculous liberation of the Jews from Egyptian slavery. This event took place in the middle of the 13th century BC. It is described in the second book of the Bible - Exodus.

The book says that the Lord warned the Israelites about the impending salvation and announced to them that in the coming night every Egyptian family would lose their firstborn, since only such punishment would force the Egyptians to free the Jews from slavery. And so that this punishment would not affect the Jews themselves, it was necessary to anoint the doors of their houses with the blood of a lamb (lamb) slaughtered the day before. His blood will save the Jewish firstborn from death and free them from slavery. And so it happened. Since then, Easter has been celebrated every year, and in memory of this event the Easter lamb is slaughtered.

This lamb is a prototype of Jesus Christ, who appeared as the Savior of the world, crucified on the cross for the sins of mankind. The Gospel says: “Christ is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, His precious Blood, shed on Calvary, cleanses us from all sin. And his crucifixion directly on the day of the Jewish Passover is by no means accidental.”

This happened on the day of the full moon, after the spring equinox, the 14th of Nisan according to the Jewish calendar. And Jesus resurrected on the third day after the crucifixion, which we call the resurrection. This is why the dates of the Jewish and Christian Passover are so interconnected.

For the first three centuries of Christian history, there were two dates for celebrating Easter. Some celebrated it on the 14th of Nisan together with the Jews - as a symbol of the memory of Christ's crucifixion and his death, while others, who turned out to be the majority - on the very first Sunday after the 14th of Nisan, as a symbol of Christ's resurrection from the dead.

The final decision on the date of Easter was made in 325 at the first Ecumenical Council. It was decided: “... to celebrate Easter, after the Jewish Passover, on the first Sunday after the full moon, which will be on the very day of the vernal equinox or immediately after it, but not earlier than the vernal equinox.”

Julian and Gregorian calendar

Thus, starting in 325, Christians around the world began to celebrate Easter and other Christian holidays on the same day.

However, after the split of the Christian Church in 1054, the so-called Roman Catholic Church appeared. At first, the calendar of holidays remained the same, but then in 1582, Pope Gregory the 13th introduced the Gregorian calendar, and therefore a new chronology. This calendar was considered more accurate from an astronomical point of view, which is why it is now accepted in most countries of the world.

And the Russian Orthodox Church to this day uses the old Julian calendar (which is also popularly called Orthodox), since Jesus Christ lived in those times when the Julian calendar was in effect.

Based on this calendar, Easter, described in the Gospel, chronologically comes immediately after the Jewish Passover. In the Gregorian calendar, it is believed that Catholic Easter can not only coincide with the Jewish one, but also be somewhat earlier than it.

Thus, sometimes Orthodox Easter coincides with Catholic Easter, and sometimes there is a fairly large discrepancy in numbers.

It is also worth noting that the Gregorian calendar is, of course, more accurate, but for centuries now the Holy Fire in Bethlehem has descended on the day of Easter according to the Julian (Orthodox) calendar.

The most significant sacred holiday of the year for all believers, both Catholics and Orthodox, is Easter, or, as it is fully called, the Holy Resurrection of Christ. Let's take a closer look at some of his questions, namely: what is the meaning of the celebration, its historical overtones, religious significance, why Easter is celebrated at different times and its main traditions.

Historical significance

So, firstly, it is perhaps worth mentioning those events that always precede this bright day. This is Maslenitsa and Lent. During the latter, all believers are cleansed both physically and mentally, preparing themselves for such a bright, long-awaited holiday. This is necessary in order to be as detached as possible from earthly poisons, addictions and gluttony and to get closer to God. The fact is that Easter is a symbol of resurrection, rebirth in the new, pure, innocent. According to the Bible, this holiday commemorates that great day when the body of Jesus Christ was not discovered in the cave where he was buried after the crucifixion, and in the next 40 days many signs appeared to all the disciples and ordinary people that he had risen. Thus, all believers have hope, and this is so important.

Main holiday traditions

The religious significance of Bright Resurrection is undeniable, because this day marked the solemn victory of life over death, after which the door to the Kingdom of God opens. Therefore, when Easter is celebrated, the largest services are held in all churches, both Catholic and Orthodox. Many people gather early in the morning to share this happiness, this joy with each other and enjoy the holiday together.

Over the years, many traditions have emerged to celebrate this event, expressing a sunny mood - brightly colored eggs and sweet cakes with fudge and colored sugar sprinkles, with raisins inside. People exchange congratulations that sound like “Christ is Risen” and “Truly Risen.” Of particular importance is attached to red-painted eggs, since this shade symbolizes the transition after death to eternal life. The celebration continues throughout the week, and its end is called Antipascha, which occurs on the following Sunday.

Dishes and events

Also, for this holiday, as we said earlier, Lent ends, and therefore the table is set richly, brightly and in a special way. There is an abundance of recently forbidden meat and dairy dishes, and therefore housewives are so eager to please their household members and please them. Believers meet in churches to bless the prepared Easter cakes, present them to relatives with the obligatory addition of several colored eggs with the inscription “XV” (Christ is Risen). And a few days before this, people start general cleaning in their homes and bathing in order to celebrate Easter in cleanliness and tidiness. From the very morning, even before the usual breakfast, you traditionally need to eat one festive egg and then a piece of Easter cake to commemorate Bright Resurrection.

Easter for children

On the last day, Antipascha, it is also customary to take a special walk. It is also called “Red Hill”, and it is on this day that many weddings are scheduled, folk festivals and celebrations are held, noisy gatherings, in general, everything that was also prohibited during the entire Lent. Children are also looking forward to this holiday, because it is a real paradise for those with a sweet tooth and for those who believe in fairy tales. The fact is that they are explained that the Easter Bunny brings eggs to all houses, and therefore this symbol becomes very interesting for them.

This is how, for example, Easter takes place in England and other European cities: many children gather in the house for the celebration, and meanwhile, in the backyard or in the rooms themselves, adults hide colored eggs in different corners and inconspicuous places, after which the children are immediately released to look for them. . The agile kid who finds the most must be rewarded. And then everyone sings solemn Easter songs, conducts educational quizzes, and children can also be occupied with making crafts and drawings on a holiday theme.

Date calculation

And, of course, many believers have been interested since childhood in the answer to the question of why Easter is celebrated at different times every year, in contrast to other celebrations, such as the New Year. After all, many often do not know exactly when it will come, and therefore may be confused for some time. And therefore we will certainly answer it: it’s all about the calendar, according to which the date of Easter is calculated. This was accepted long before our century, and this rule is observed very strictly. Thus, the clergy explain why Easter is at different times by saying that this day should fall after the vernal equinox on the first Sunday after the first full moon. And since the phases of the moon do not obey the usual calendar, but their own calendar, the day of the bright holiday of Easter moves.

Differences in dates

If we talk in more detail about calculating the beginning of the holiday, it should be noted that the weeks according to the Lunar calendar do not coincide with those according to the Solar one, and therefore, in the end, the lunar year ends up with not 365-366 days, as usual, but a dozen less. As a result, the lunar months shift, and the day of the vernal equinox can fall either at the beginning of the month or at the middle or end. And, thus, the Bright Resurrection will either approach this day or move away from it. Also, many believers may be interested in why Easter is celebrated at different times among Catholics and Orthodox Christians. We will also try to answer this question. The fact is that the former use the Gregorian calendar, and the latter use the Julian calendar, and the discrepancy between them is as much as 13 days. Also, Catholics determine the spring equinox astronomically, while Orthodox Christians calculate it according to their calendar. Hence the difference in dates on which believers celebrate this day of Easter Sunday. However, earlier, long before the general agreement on this, the discrepancy was much greater, and therefore this rule was invented back in 325 in the city of Nicaea. Now we know why Easter is celebrated at different times every year.

Origin of the name

It will be interesting to know not only why Easter is at different times every year, but also where the name of this holiday comes from. Here the Christian Easter is closely related to the Jewish one. The fact is that among the Jews, this day marks the mass exodus of all Israelites from Egypt, where for long, painful 430 years they were in slavery and suffered numerous humiliations. However, the pharaoh of that time did not release them until the Lord himself showed him his power, punishing all of Egypt with ten punishments. The last of them was the most terrible: all the first-born babies disappeared from every house at night. However, this punishment only overtook the Egyptians, since Jewish houses were marked with a red cross from the blood of a lamb given for slaughter the day before, and its meat was eaten. This is where the word “Pesach” arose, meaning “to pass, to bypass,” that is, the punishment bypassed the houses of the Jews. This word was also used to name a lamb sacrificed to God.

Results

Thus, for all believers, Easter is undoubtedly one of the most significant, large-scale and solemn holidays. Indeed, despite its deep religious meaning, rooted in the thousand-year antiquity of existence, even ordinary people who are not baptized and not familiar with the traditions of Christians celebrate this day together with believers, and this, you see, is very important. After all, any holidays unite people, unite them, and even more so a bright holiday like Easter. After all, he is so bright, open, sincere! Everyone is having fun, enjoying the holiday, enjoying the life that the Lord promised them even after death, only in another world. That’s why everyone loves Easter so much.

Good afternoon Please tell me why Christmas has a constant date of January 7, and Easter always falls on different dates? What is this connected with? Thank you so much for all your advice and clarification! Nadezhda Nikolaevna.

Priest Philip Parfenov answers:

Hello, Nadezhda Nikolaevna!
The Christmas holiday, like most other holidays, the dates of which fall on the same date every year, are called fixed holidays, since they are celebrated according to the solar calendar commonly used since ancient times in Europe. But in the Asian East they used the lunar calendar, which has its own rhythm and is inconsistent in different years relative to the solar one.
Read more here: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_calendar
Easter, as a deliverance from Egyptian slavery, according to the regulations of the ancient Jews, was to be celebrated from the 14th to the 15th of the first lunar month of Nissan (Aviv). This date fell on the full moon immediately following the spring equinox. On the same day our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, according to the Gospel of John (on the eve of Saturday). And on the third day, Christ was resurrected - this day began to be called Sunday. Accordingly, subsequently, at the first Ecumenical Council in 325, it was decided to celebrate Christian Easter on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox. This date changes relative to ordinary solar years, which is why this holiday, as well as the Ascension and Pentecost associated with it, are called movable holidays.

Sincerely, priest Philip Parfenov.