QUESTION:

Glory Be To Jesus Christ!

Dear Father

Many Christians will be starting lent this coming Wednesday, on Ash Wednesday, February 13, and the Orthodox Christian lent starts March 18th (two weeks before their Easter). Why are the two Easters so far apart this year?

Kathy

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ANSWER:

Dear Kathy,

I am glad you asked a question in this forum that many, I am sure, are curious about.

While the exact answer is very complicated there are two principles that guide the selection of the date of Pascha (Easter) according to the Council of Nicea (325 AD)

First, Easter is to take place after the vernal equinoxon the Sunday following the full moon.

Secondly, the First Council proclaimed that Pascha (Easter) was not to be celebrated "With the Jews". This is interpreted to mean not on or before the beginning of Passover.

Both the Churches of the East and the West celebrated Easter on the same date until the year 1582, when the Western Church adopted the Gregorian (Revised Julian or the so-called "New" Calendar). At this time, the Western Church used the Gregorian Calendar to determine the date of the vernal equinox. The Orthodox Church still uses the Julian (or "Old" ) calendar to determine the date of the vernal equinox. While it is true that many Orthodox  Churches observe the Revised Julian or Gregorian Calendar, since Pascha is the "Feast of Feasts" all Orthodox Churches celebrate Pascha on the same date, which is determined by using the Julian Calendar date for the vernal equinox.

If you would like a more detailed explanation of the exact "algorithm" used to determine the date of pascha see the following link:

http://www.smart.net/~mmontes/ortheast.html#ortheaster

I hope you found this answer helpful.

Father Peter Paproski