Why does Easter fall on different dates every year?
The calendar mystery that confuses us… but makes sense
If you’ve ever wondered why Christmas always has the same date – December 25 – and Easter doesn’t, well… you’re not alone. Every year, the feast of the Resurrection falls on a different Sunday. Sometimes it’s at the beginning of April, sometimes it’s only at the end of the month. So let’s unravel the “secret behind the date of Easter” together.
1. What determines the date of Easter?
In short: astronomy + church tradition.
According to the rules established at the Council of Nicaea (325), Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first Full Moon following the vernal equinox (March 21).
So Easter will always be on a Sunday, but the date varies depending on when the Full Moon appears.
2. How does this calculation work?
Let’s take an example:
Vernal Equinox = March 21
First Full Moon after this date = April 5
First Sunday after April 5 = April 6
In that year, Easter would be on April 6.
But since the Full Moon does not appear on the same day every year, Easter does not have a fixed date either.
3. The difference between Orthodox and Catholic Easter
Catholic and Orthodox Easter follow the same principle, but have different calendars:
The Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar for calculation (older, with a 13-day gap)
The Catholic Church uses the Gregorian calendar (the official one used worldwide today)
For this reason, Orthodox Easter usually falls 1 to 5 weeks later than the Catholic one.
Sometimes – like in 2025 – the two holidays coincide.
4. What are the limits? How early or late can Easter fall?
For Orthodox Easter:
Earliest date: April 4
Latest date: May 8
It all depends on the lunar cycle and the date of the equinox.
5. What about the Easter of the „Easter of the Departed”?
„Paștele Blajinilor” or „Easter of the Departed” is celebrated in Romanian Orthodox tradition on the first Monday after Thomas Sunday (that is, eight days after Easter). It is a holiday dedicated to commemorating loved ones who have passed away – an extension of the joy of the Resurrection toward their souls.
Source jurnalul.ro