April 01 2018, 09:43

It might be a surprise for some friends from Russia, but 90 percent of Christians celebrate Easter today.

The Council of Nicaea in 325 AD decreed that all Christians should celebrate Easter, the Day of the Lord’s Resurrection, astronomically: on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the day of the spring equinox.

In 2018, the equinox (day equals night, 12 hours each) is on March 20.

The first full moon was on Saturday, March 31 (the same day that Jewish Passover begins).

Accordingly, today, on the first Sunday after March 31, Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox Finns are celebrating Easter in 2018. According to the universal ecumenical rule.

However, the Orthodox calculate Easter based on the ancient and outdated Paschalion, which has long been mistaken in its astronomical dates. According to its tables, in 2018, the spring equinox supposedly falls on April 3 (which is March 21 in the Julian calendar), the first full moon (“Jewish Passover”) supposedly occurs the next day – April 4 (March 22 in the old style), and then Easter Sunday – the following Sunday, April 8 (March 26 in the Julian calendar).

Thus, the Orthodox will celebrate Easter next weekend, on April 8.

By the way, the week before Easter is marked by Palm Sunday – what in Russia is called “Pussy-Willow Sunday”. The palm was considered a sacred plant by the ancient Jews. But as palms don’t grow in Russia, willows are used instead 🙂 In Italy, olive trees are considered the symbol of the holiday. In France – rosemary.

Last year the dates coincided, and I didn’t find out. I just got curious; I am quite distant from all this.