Easter

[optispares]

Just sitting here on this fine sunny morning thinking how soon it seems to have got round to easter this year
( Christmas has only just finished) Or so it seems.
Then some guy on the radio says easter is early this year ?
So why does Easter move around ?
Chrismas the birth of christ December 25th.
Easter the death of christ moves around confused .I am

[John R]

Ok this is taken from the "How To" web site...

According to the English book of Common Prayer, "Easter Day is the first Sunday after the full moon which happens upon, or next after the 21st day of March; and if the full moon happens upon a Sunday, Easter Day is the Sunday after."

Why such an odd definition? March 21 is the vernal equinox -- the day on which the length of daylight equals the length of darkness as the days are lengthening in the spring. The traditional Jewish calendar is based on moon phases, which is how the phase of the moon enters into the definition -- when they were determining what day Easter would fall on, they deferred to the Jewish practice of using moon phases to decide the timing of holidays.

Using this method, Easter can only occur between March 22 and April 25.

[optispares]

simple huh ????????? so how come the date of someones death (anniversary) which is what easter is changes, still makes no sense to me.

[Laurie]

Hi,

Actually, Good Friday (The Friday before Easter) is the day of Christ's death. Easter celebrates His ressurection (sp?) from the dead.

Happy Easter,

And, Happy Passover,

Laurie : )

[10 Pence Short]

I suppose I'm lucky- I don't believe in religion of any kind (well, except Manchester United), so the true meaning of easter means nothing to me but an attempt to sell many chocolate eggs to many over fat children, and of course a brief break from work.

The fact that easter 'moves' every year just convinces me more that Christianity is but a movement of myths and legend used by the powerful to control the masses. He either died on an exact date or he didn't, why the ambiguity?

Controversial or what.

[Johns]

10 Pence:

He died on an exact date, but on which calendar ? We don't celebrate the fact that he died, we celebrate the fact that He rose from the dead. As far as Christmas goes. I have never seen it written anywhere that December 25th, was the exact day of His birth, just the date that many folks choose to celebrate it. Given leap years, you don't celebrate your birthdays, anniversaries etc... exactly 365 days apart from each other do you ?

Johns

[Night Train]

10 Pence Short said:
I suppose I'm lucky- I don't believe in religion of any kind.

The fact that easter 'moves' every year just convinces me more that Christianity is but a movement of myths and legend used by the powerful to control the masses. He either died on an exact date or he didn't, why the ambiguity?

Lucky? Hmmmm....Luck never sounded so unenthusiastic. Then again, a life without faith wouldnt bring about much to be enthusiastic about. Call it a myth, a legend, or a religion. Atheism counts as well. In fact, I would bet my luck it takes more faith to believe in no religion than to believe in Christianity. And by the way, Christianity Hardly started among the powerful.....just the opposite in fact. It sounds to me as if youve only examined this on the surface and then drawn your own conclusions. Of course, you are free to do this but it would be.....um... lets say ....ambiguous.

[Pete Hanlin]

At this point, it might help to note that Easter- like Christmas- actually finds its origins in pagan religious practices. Yes, the eggs, bunny, and the other trappings of Easter have nothing to do with the resurrection of Jesus Christ and come to us from other ancient religions (still, the Easter Bunny visited our house and will continue to do so till the kids outgrow him).

As to the dates, it is historical fact that the date of Christmas was originally chosen because it coincided with a Roman religious holiday. As for Easter, a case can be made that the date was originally derived from a religious holiday honoring Baal. However, Christianity claims to tie it to the Passover (which, to Christians, was a "type of Christ" or precursor illustrating the significance of Christ's death).

Luckily (to borrow a term) for me, it matters not from whence the traditions of the Christian religion originate- because my faith is in neither traditions nor holidays but in the fact that I was created by a God who I continually sin against- and through no particular merit of my own, He chose to put aside my faults and still seeks to involve Himself in my life through the death of His son and the continuing work of His Holy Spirit (very little "religion" involved in that, btw).

So, while I choose to celebrate things like Christmas and Easter, I'm not particularly devoted to them... I do enjoy thinking about the things they represent, however.