Greek Orthodox bishops in an Easter mass procession outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Sunday, April 8, 2007. (Emilio Morenatti/Associated Press)
In Depth
Holidays
A moveable feast
Why is Easter so much earlier this year?
Last Updated March 14, 2008
CBC News
Ukrainian Easter eggs, also known as Pysanky eggs, on display at the Ukrainian museum in New York on Saturday, February 16, 2008. (Aimee Maude Sims/Associated Press)
If it seems like Easter is coming early this year, it is. Tied to the lunar cycle, rather than a fixed date, this Christian holiday commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus moves around during the calendar year. For that reason, it is often called "a moveable feast," a title novelist Ernest Hemingway appropriated for his Paris-years memoir.
In 2008, Easter Sunday will be celebrated on March 23, the earliest it's been since 1913. It will not be this early again for another 220 years. The exception to this is the Orthodox Church, which follows the Julian calendar, and for it, Easter will fall on April 27 this year.
What is Easter?
Easter marks the end of Lent, which is the 40-day period of fasting and prayer representing Jesus's time in the desert, as well as his death on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. For many Christians, it is considered the most important religious observation.
The name Easter is derived from the goddess of fertility and birth — Eostre. Eostre was worshipped by early Anglo-Saxons in what is now Central Europe and Britain during the vernal equinox. Since the celebrations fell during the same time as the resurrection of Jesus, they were adopted by Christians to aid conversion.
Who celebrates Easter?
Easter is observed by most Christians, though its timing generally coincides with the Jewish festival of Passover. Some of Easter's celebratory customs were adopted from the traditional Passover feast.
What is Passover?
Passover is a weeklong commemoration of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery. Passover is celebrated on the 15th day of the biblical first month of the Jewish year. The Jewish calendar is lunisolar, which means it follows both the lunar cycle and the time of the solar year. Passover can happen as early as March 21 and as late as April 25. In 2008, it will be celebrated after sunset on April 19 until April 26.
Why do the dates change every year?
The dates of Easter shift according to the lunar cycle. Easter is observed on the first Sunday following what's known as the Paschal full moon, which generally coincides with the spring equinox on March 20. The earliest Easter can fall is March 22, though that hasn't happened since 1818.
2008 marks the first time Easter has been observed as early as March 23 since 1913 and the last time it will come this early until 2285. The latest date the holiday can fall is April 25.
The early dates of Easter
Before A.D. 325, Easter was celebrated according to the day of Jewish Passover, meaning that two days after the 14th day of the first full moon in spring marked the day of resurrection, regardless of the day of the week. However, the emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea, the first council of the Christian church, to create the rule of Easter. The council issued that Easter must be celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after March 21.
How is Easter celebrated?
As one of the most important Christian holidays, Easter is celebrated worldwide and in many different ways. For much of Europe and North America, church services, hot cross buns, chocolate bunnies and egg hunts are big components of the festivities. In France and Italy, family members exchange eggs, often with gifts inside. In Ireland and the Czech Republic, Easter is also an opportunity to welcome the return of spring and its promises of rebirth and renewal. Orthodox celebrations are focused mainly on the religious aspects of the holiday and involve extensive prayer, dramatic processions and a more solemn observance of the holy week. Almost everyone celebrating Easter marks Sunday with a large feast with ham, more often than not, in the meal's starring role.
Where did the Easter Bunny come from?
Rabbits, birds and eggs were strong symbols of fertility and rebirth in the spring season, especially in pre-Christian pagan celebrations. The Easter Bunny itself has roots in Germany, and the folklore of the egg-laying hare made its way to Pennsylvania Dutch country through early German settlers. The "Oschter Haws" brought treats in the form of coloured eggs to good children, much like that other holiday gift-bringer, Christkindl, who later became Santa Claus.
