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Original poster

To still not understand Easter?

193 replies

Kayano · 04/04/2012 13:03

I was raised a catholic and attended catholic school.
I got an A* in my RS GCSE because I had been bashed round the head with a bible for many years not because I tried

But although I get Easter. Crucifixtion, raised from the dead three days later...

Why does it MOVE?!

I'm sure I know this but now I am an adult and have finally said you know what? Bull I still don't understand why the date changes.

I mean. Jesus was born on one day (Christmas... Supposedly) 25th Dec

Presumably he died one day too... Why does it not stay the same date then? Jesus died this day... Blah blah april... Jesus last year might have died this day march... Blah blah

? Can someone explain it to me

OP posts:
MyleeneCrass · 04/04/2012 13:05

Kayano, look away now....
Jesus wasn't really born on 25th December

BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 04/04/2012 13:06

Dunno, isnt it all to do with the moon or something??

I dont actually think Jesus was born on 25th Dec either but sorry, cant explain as I dont really have a clue, lol.

JazzAnnNonMouse · 04/04/2012 13:06

Presumably it's not the query of the date he died but purely the calander changing and convenience that it changes?

nickelhasababy · 04/04/2012 13:06

it moves because it's the first sunday on or after the first full moon following the vernal equinox.

it's based loosely on passover, but doesn't follow it now.

VegimalStyle · 04/04/2012 13:06

Because the pagans who celebrated eostre used the moon's phases instead of calendars to determine festivals.

Kladdkaka · 04/04/2012 13:07

Because the Last Supper (Thursday) was Passover. Passover is related to the lunar cycle. This year passover is 6th so Easter is the Sunday after. Simples. ;)

SpaghettiTwirlerAndProud · 04/04/2012 13:07

He was supposedly born sometime in January wasn't he?

LeeCoakley · 04/04/2012 13:08

Not me! I have an idea it might be because the celebrations leading up to Easter have to fall on certain days in the moon's cycle. But equally I might be making that up.

fluffyanimal · 04/04/2012 13:08

Most Christian feasts are grafted onto pagan ones, to help convince the pagan convertees. Easter must be on a Sunday, to accord with the account of Christ's crucifixion in the Gospels, but is grafted onto a celebration of the Spring which follows the first full moon after the vernal equinoxe. So Easter is the first Sunday after that first full moon.

LeeCoakley · 04/04/2012 13:08

Late as usual! Grin

ThisIsANickname · 04/04/2012 13:08

The best guess is that Jesus was born some time in late summer to early autumn (think August/September time).

CrockoDuck · 04/04/2012 13:10

Neither Easter or Christmas actually have anything to do with Christianity - they are both re-named pagan festivals stolen by Christians.

Jesus (if he existed at all, which is by no means certain) was almost certainly not born in December.

And I think the date for Easter changes for convenience more than anything - although Kladdkaka's explanation sounds right.

Original poster
Kayano · 04/04/2012 13:10

I know about Christmas that's why I put 'supposedly' Grin

I just don't know how I managed to end up a 26 year old atheist catholic and not know this lol

OP posts:
LesAnimaux · 04/04/2012 13:13

Well, of course Jesus existed, but did he really rise from the dead?

ThisIsANickname · 04/04/2012 13:14

"The Short Answer

At the heart of the matter lies a very simple explanation. The early church fathers wished to keep the observance of Easter in correlation to the Jewish Passover. Because the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ happened after the Passover, they wanted Easter to always be celebrated subsequent to the Passover. And, since the Jewish holiday calendar is based on solar and lunar cycles, each feast day is movable, with dates shifting from year to year."

Original poster
Kayano · 04/04/2012 13:16

It's quite annoying

I'm only thinking of this as my mother handed me a wad of Easter cards and DH all of a sudden announced daytime plans for Friday.

I hope I get eggs

WHAT ABOUT THE EASTER BUNNY AND EGGS? Where does that come
From

Easter is well lame

OP posts:
JustHecate · 04/04/2012 13:17

My understanding is that it's basically because the christian special dates were superimposed over pagan festivals in order to push them out and replace them with christianity.

It is no coincidence that christmas day happens to be the pagan festival of yule. and easter? Eastre (I think?) - the goddess of spring. The pagan spring festival.

So basically, what christianity did was take widely celebrated festivals, festivals that had been around for thousands of years, and rename and rebrand them.

And they did a bloody good job of it too.

5Foot5 · 04/04/2012 13:17

Kladdaka I like your explanation - it makes sense to me, but...

If that is the case why do some countries celebrate Easter on a different date. For example, Greek Orthodox Easter is on April 15th this year. Surely if it is based on Passover then it should be the same?

Just reminded me many years ago I had the algorithm for working out Easter in any given year because I had to write a computer program for it...

nickelhasababy · 04/04/2012 13:19

my explanation was the correct, most precise and first to be posted.

am i invisible today Confused

Original poster
Kayano · 04/04/2012 13:20

Nickel
Thank you x

Can you now explain the bunnies and eggs x Grin

OP posts:
nickelhasababy · 04/04/2012 13:20

bunnies cos they is well cute innit.

eggs is easy - they represent new life, and jesus rising from the tomb.

nickelhasababy · 04/04/2012 13:21

(the egg being the tomb and the baby chick inside being the new life, and jesus)
chocolate these days because choccy's nicer than normal eggs.

bejeezus · 04/04/2012 13:22

easter should be everyday- so we can all eat hot cross buns...yuuuuuuuuuuummmm..

ThisIsANickname · 04/04/2012 13:22

5Foot5 The link I posted actually explains all of that.