Fabergé, Folklore and Fry’s: An Easter Egg Hunt Through History

Every year, the date of Holy Week varies in the calendar, making many people watch over when it may fall but there is something that does not change: it is always celebrated near the first full moon of spring . This coincidence is neither casual nor astronomically arbitrary, but responds to an ancestral calculation that combines elements of the Jewish lunar calendar with Christian tradition. The origin of this norm goes back to the Council of Ni…

Fabergé, Folklore and Fry’s: An Easter Egg Hunt Through History

Easter does seem to have been a long time coming this year, but it’s not the latest ever Easter. The date of Easter is determined by lunar cycles and changes every year because it is set as the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox. This is based on a formula established by the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, and Easter can fall anywhere between March 22nd and April 25th. Lent is always 40 days though and for those cha…

This year Easter will be celebrated on April 20, an unusual and unusually late date. This year, Easter will be celebrated on April 20th, a date that may come as a surprise as it is later than usual. This change often raises questions: why does one of the main feasts of the Christian calendar change from year to year, and why does it sometimes occur so late? The answer goes back to a combination of liturgical calendar rules and astronomical pheno…

The common belief is that Easter falls on the Sunday after the first spring full moon. However, this definition is incorrect, and the procedure for calculating the date of Easter Sunday is much more complicated.

We provide an explanation.