Why This Easter is so Special

[Big John Denny]

Easter this year is: Sunday, March 23, 2008 and that makes it special!

As you may know, Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox which is March 20.

This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover. This is why the date of Easter moves around on our Roman calendar.

Based on the above, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22) but that is very rare.

Only the most elderly of our population (95 years old and above) have ever seen Easter this early before. The last time it was this early was 1913.  For the most of us this year will be the earliest that we will ever see Easter, and none of us will ever see Easter a day earlier!

The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2160 (that's 152 years from now).

The next time Easter will be a day earlier March 22, will be in the year 2285 (that's 277 years from now). The last time Easter was on March 22 was 1818. So no one alive today has seen or will ever see Easter any earlier than this year!  I would say that makes this Easter special!
 
The odds are considerably better for witnessing a late Easter. Many people are still around from the last time Easter fell on April 25, an event which took place in 1943, and a good many people here today will likely still be around when Easter next falls on April 25, which will occur in 2038.

[Major 2]

ashamed to say I did not realize this.. thanks

[Silent Joe]

Very nice, BJD. This is the only year that Lady Lis' Birthday is one day before EASTER. And it was yesterday and today snowing here in The Netherlands. Strange world, sunshine on Christmas and snow at Easter.

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[Leo Tanner]

Very informative!
     I always knew it had to do with the timing of lent and that even Mardi Gras revolved around this schedule.  The connection between passover and the last supper makes perfect sense.  Thanks 


Leo