How to calculate the date of Easter

By calculating the date of Easter, you can plan your preparations for this holiday in advance. In this article we will consider several issues regarding the correct calculation of the date of Easter.

Easter and lunar calendar

Easter date depends on the lunar and solar calendars. Moreover, according to the lunar calendar, Easter occurs at one specific time, and according to the solar calendar, within 35 days. Many people calculate the date of Easter using special algorithms and tables, since in order to determine the date of Easter using the lunar and solar calendars, certain knowledge is required. It is much easier to calculate the date using simple mathematical operations.

How to calculate Easter for 2016

In 2016, Easter will be celebrated on May 1st.

It is from Easter that all other holidays in the Orthodox calendar are calculated.

Every year Easter is calculated according to the same algorithm: “Easter is celebrated on the Sunday following the first spring full moon, and it is forbidden to celebrate Easter with the Jews.”

Based on this rule, as well as the nineteen-year “Metonic” cycle of recurrence of lunar phases in the Julian calendar, Easter tables (Paschals) were compiled, which determine the time of Easter celebration. The dates of Easter repeat cyclically every 532 years (Great Indiction).

How to calculate Easter for 2017

In 2017, Easter awaits us on April 16th. It's very easy to calculate.

It is enough to count 40 days from the day of Maslenitsa. Exactly on this day the Easter holiday begins.

In 2017, on March 7, we will see off the winter, and on April 16, we will bake Easter cakes.

How to calculate Easter day in any year

The date of Easter usually varies between 4 and 9 April, although there may be exceptions.

To calculate an Orthodox holiday, data from both the lunar and solar calendars are used. However, there is an easier way to calculate the date of Easter.

To do this, you need to calculate the following data.

1. The numerical value of the current year must be divided by 7, write down the remainder, since there will be too many numbers to remember.
2. The numerical value of the year must be divided by 19 and the remainder recorded.
3. Then divide the numerical value of the current year by 4 and also write down the remainder.

After that, we work with the recorded balances.

1. The second remainder must be multiplied by 19.
2. We divide the resulting figure by 30. The result is a remainder that needs to be recorded.
3. Now multiply the third remainder by 2.
4. And multiply the first remainder by 4.
5. We multiply the last remainder by 6.
6. Next you need to add up all the results and add 6.
7. Add up the results and add 6.
8. Divide the resulting number by 7 and calculate the remainder.
9. To determine the exact date, you need to add the fourth and fifth remainders and subtract 9 from the resulting date.

This scheme helps to calculate the exact date of Easter without resorting to calendar data.

How is Catholic Easter calculated?

Easter is a very important holiday for Catholics. On this date, colorful performances and celebrations take place.

Once upon a time, Catholics celebrated this holiday together with Christians on the same day. This took place according to the Julian calendar, but from the 16th century the Julian style was replaced by the Gregorian. But Russia kept the old calendar, and now the dates of Catholic and Orthodox Easter are calculated according to different calendars, but at the same time, regularly, once every 3-4 years, the dates coincide. There is a whole complex algorithm for calculating Catholic Easter, although in religious publications you can always easily find the date of Easter for the current year.

How they used to calculate the date of Easter

Previously, the date of the holiday was calculated according to the following principle: “Easter falls on the first Sunday after the spring full moon.” The spring full moon is, appropriately, the full moon that follows the arrival of the spring equinox.

The full moon occurred earlier than March 21 (the day of the vernal equinox); Easter was considered to be the next full moon. And if the Easter full moon falls on a Sunday, then Easter is celebrated on the following Sunday.

You can always find out the date of Easter several years in advance. You do not need to calculate the date of Easter yourself, especially since when doing your own calculations there is a high probability of making mistakes, which means that the date of Easter will be calculated incorrectly.