So is this the REAL Easter?

[mrslisae]

My sis works for a lady who's Eastern Orthodox Catholic...They're having a HUGE celebration all this week because Easter only comes once every 5yrs

Is this true?

I'd really like to teach my daughter to observe April 8th if this is true:)

[Mary of Bethany]

I'm Eastern Orthodox, and I can assure you that Pascha (Easter) happens every year! :)

Mary

[mrslisae]

Thats strange...She said that April 8th is the only true Easter no matter what day of the week it falls on

[TomUK]

This year both the Eastern and Western Churches celebrate Easter on the same date. Perhaps that is what she meant.

[mrslisae]

This year both the Eastern and Western Churches celebrate Easter on the same date. Perhaps that is what she meant.

Is that because the 8th falls on Sunday, or some other reason?

[Latreia]

:confused:


:doh:


:sigh:

[mrslisae]

:confused:


:doh:


:sigh:

Did I offend ? Didn't mean too...just curious

[mrslisae]

I was told that on Easter (according to the calendar) she celebrates like the "bunny easter"..but April 8th is the reserved day for celebrating the real Easter....They attend services all week, they have the last supper and foot washing, then they have like a funeral and mourn and then a huge celebration on Sunday the 8th. This church walks down the streets being loud and singing and have like a late night parade of sorts..

[longhair75]

Calculating Easter


from this site (http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/easter.html)
Easter falls on the first Sunday following the first ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or after the day of the vernal equinox; this particular ecclesiastical full moon is the 14th day of a tabular lunation (new moon); and the vernal equinox is fixed as March 21.

[higgs2]

Did I offend ? Didn't mean too...just curious

Don't worry, you are welcome here at STR :) I have never heard of the custom which you describe. Please don't feel bad for asking though. Let us know if you find out more.

[mrslisae]

I think my sister misunderstood and told me wrong

[Simon_Templar]

Buzymom,

Hi :) I'm not sure exactly what your friend was refering to, but it probably has to do with the fact that the eastern orthodox church and the western churches frequently celebrate easter on different dates. This year it happens that they both fall on the same date.

The reason that they celebrate on different dates often has two parts. First the churches use different calendars. The western church uses the 'gregorian' calendar which was made during the middle ages and the adjusted later on to be more accurate (this is the normal calendar used by the western world).

The eastern church uses the julian calendar which goes back to the days of the roman empire.

In addition to this, both churches have the same formula for calculating the date of easter.. but they apply it in slightly different ways. the result is that they frequently come up with different dates.

[mrslisae]

Buzymom,

Hi :) I'm not sure exactly what your friend was refering to, but it probably has to do with the fact that the eastern orthodox church and the western churches frequently celebrate easter on different dates. This year it happens that they both fall on the same date.

The reason that they celebrate on different dates often has two parts. First the churches use different calendars. The western church uses the 'gregorian' calendar which was made during the middle ages and the adjusted later on to be more accurate (this is the normal calendar used by the western world).

The eastern church uses the julian calendar which goes back to the days of the roman empire.

In addition to this, both churches have the same formula for calculating the date of easter.. but they apply it in slightly different ways. the result is that they frequently come up with different dates.

Thanks Simon :thumbsup: My sis has some memory and comprehension problems as well...I think she just got confused. or maybe I'm confused :scratch:...Heck we're all confused! Mother used us as yo-yos!

[mrslisae]

oh yeah, that yo-yo thing, just a joke...thats how my MIL puts it when i talk about my past

[Mary of Bethany]

I was told that on Easter (according to the calendar) she celebrates like the "bunny easter"..but April 8th is the reserved day for celebrating the real Easter....They attend services all week, they have the last supper and foot washing, then they have like a funeral and mourn and then a huge celebration on Sunday the 8th. This church walks down the streets being loud and singing and have like a late night parade of sorts..

That does sound like our Holy Week observance and celebration on Pascha.

Perhaps she's just confused about the "date" thing. April 8th has no special meaning. Pascha can be as early as April 3rd (I think) and is often as late as May. We calculate it differently than the western churches, is all.
I hope she has enjoyed the Holy Week services. There are a lot of them!

Mary

[Rut]

Calculating Easter


from this site (http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/easter.html)
Easter falls on the first Sunday following the first ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or after the day of the vernal equinox; this particular ecclesiastical full moon is the 14th day of a tabular lunation (new moon); and the vernal equinox is fixed as March 21.

I have a question about this that I have thought about in the latest.
Why must the Easter be on a Sunday? What reason the Council said it must be on a Sunday?
If we thinking of why Jesus eat the last meal and what time that was (the rules etc) then should the Easter have been this year on Monday 2 April (14 Nisan) If we read and see how exact the Bible are about the dates why shall we only think about the day?

I hope you understand what I mean:blush:

[mrslisae]

Thanks to all who replied..My sister was too upset today for me to ask her about it...Thats probably what the lady meant...Thanks for clarifying

[Simon_Templar]

I have a question about this that I have thought about in the latest.
Why must the Easter be on a Sunday? What reason the Council said it must be on a Sunday?
If we thinking of why Jesus eat the last meal and what time that was (the rules etc) then should the Easter have been this year on Monday 2 April (14 Nisan) If we read and see how exact the Bible are about the dates why shall we only think about the day?

I hope you understand what I mean:blush:
the reason easter is always on a sunday is because Jesus was raised from the dead on the Jewish feast of first fruits, which always takes place on a sunday.

Nisan 14 is passover, which is when Jesus was crucified. The day of passover changes every year, it could be monday, or wednesday.. the year of the crucifixion it happened to be on a friday. This is what good friday remembers.

In the Jewish feast calendar, Passover is Nisan 14, then the feast of unleavened bread begins on Nisan 15. The feast of first fruits is always the sunday after the first saturday sabbath in the feast of unleavened bread.

So passover is on the same date every year but a different day, first fruits is on the same day every year but a different date.

Easter (which is only the western name by the way, to non-western christians it is called Pascha). Occurs on sunday because it celebrates the resurrection.