Comments on: Easter/Pascha date http://www.exvigilare.com/2008/03/11/easterpascha-date/ from vulgar Latin *exvigilare: Latin ex-, ex- + Latin vigilare, to stay awake, from vigil, awake Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:18:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 By: JohnH http://www.exvigilare.com/2008/03/11/easterpascha-date/#comment-2883 JohnH Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:40:40 +0000 http://www.exvigilare.com/2008/03/11/easterpascha-date/#comment-2883 My understanding is that the East uses the ancient date for the equinox (set by the Roman Empire at March 25) and also, because of the Julian Calendar, the Julian date for March 21 is actually 13 days later than the Gregorian date, making the date for the Equinox used by the Eastern churches April 3, so Pascha would be on the first Sunday after the first full moon of the 'Equinox' by that ancient way of reckoning. It just so happens to work out that these 13 days mean that Pascha is always after Jewish Passover nowadays. This site has a great explanation, and also points out that the Orthodox Revision of the Gregorian Calendar (Orthodox New Calendar)isn't the same as the one the Western Church uses. (It won't differ until the year 2800 tho): http://www.holy-trinity.org/modern/calen3.html More on the Revised Julian Calendar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revised_Julian_calendar http://www.holy-trinity.org/modern/calen3.html My understanding is that the East uses the ancient date for the equinox (set by the Roman Empire at March 25) and also, because of the Julian Calendar, the Julian date for March 21 is actually 13 days later than the Gregorian date, making the date for the Equinox used by the Eastern churches April 3, so Pascha would be on the first Sunday after the first full moon of the ‘Equinox’ by that ancient way of reckoning.

It just so happens to work out that these 13 days mean that Pascha is always after Jewish Passover nowadays.

This site has a great explanation, and also points out that the Orthodox Revision of the Gregorian Calendar (Orthodox New Calendar)isn’t the same as the one the Western Church uses. (It won’t differ until the year 2800 tho):
http://www.holy-trinity.org/modern/calen3.html

More on the Revised Julian Calendar:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revised_Julian_calendar
http://www.holy-trinity.org/modern/calen3.html

]]>