Easter is a major church holiday that is celebrated in the spring, but its date changes every year. Why Easter is celebrated on different days every year and what the date depends on – read the ICTV Facts material.
Why Easter is celebrated on different days in Ukraine
Easteris a moving church holiday. In 2023, the Ukrainian Church switched to the New Julian calendar, but Easter holidays are celebrated in the old way. The Orthodox and Catholic worlds have different Easter days, so the new calendar did not affect the celebration.
The date of Easter is determined annually by calculation according to the lunar calendar. The calculation begins on the day of the vernal equinox, that is, after March 21, and is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon. But the dates for celebrating Easter are different for Orthodox and Catholic believers.
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The difference between the dates of Easter according to Eastern and Western traditions is due to the difference in the calculation of the spring equinox. The first full moon after the spring equinox occurs earlier for Catholics due to the 13-day difference between calendars. That's why they celebrate Easter earlier.
Why did the churches decide to calculate Easter according to the lunar calendar?
The fact is that at the beginning of the 3rd century the Christian Church decided to disconnect and create a system that would allow it to independently determine the date of Easter. This was due to deterioration in communications in the Roman Empire.
The Holy Fathers decided that Easter must be celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon. Its date cannot occur earlier than the vernal equinox, and also no later than April 25 or May 8 according to the Gregorian calendar.
Now there are two Easter eggs:
- Gregorian – according to the Gregorian calendar;
- Alexandrian – according to the Julian calendar.
The old Paschalia (method of determining the date of Easter celebration), approved back in 325 by the Council of Nicaea, is attached to the Julian calendar. It was then that the rule was established to celebrate the holiday after the spring equinox on the first Sunday after the full moon.
When Easter is celebrated 2024
Last year, Ukraine switched to a new church calendar. But, despite the transition, the date of Easter celebration in 2024 has not changed.
The fact is that the Ukrainian churches switched not to the pure Gregorian calendar, but to the updated New Julian calendar. Therefore, for now, Easter and the holidays associated with it will be celebrated as before.
In 2024, Orthodox believers will celebrate the Holy Resurrection of Christ – May 5, this is a rather late date.
This year Catholics celebrate Easter March 31.
Sometimes the celebration of Easter among Catholics and Orthodox Christians can coincide. So, in 2025 there will be one common date – April 20.
