Why is Easter so early this year???

[UKcat]

Do any of you know the theory that determines when Easter is observed??? I do not ever remember Easter being held this early in my lifetime. What is different this year that makes it earlier than usual???

[largebluej]

per Wikipedia:

Easter is the first Sunday after the first fourteenth day of the moon (the Paschal Full Moon) that is on or after March 21 (the ecclesiastical spring, or vernal, equinox).

Don't know for sure, but someone told my folks today that Easter won't be this early for another 100 years....I suppose March 21st is the earliest it could be...

[misterbluecat]

During my lifetime Easter has fallen in March 6 times, but the earliest I remember is 1989. It was on March 26th then. In 2005 it fell on March 27th. The next time it will fall in March will be 2016. Then it's another 8 years before another March Easter (2024). The latest it has been in my lifetime was April 23rd, 2000. In 2011 it will fall on April 24th and just for grins, in 2018 it will fall on April 1st. :icon_mrgreen:

[surveyor]

Yup. Blame it on the moon phases. The last time Easter was this early was nearly 100 years ago, thus, this is the only time in the great majority of our lifetimes that it'll be this early. Won't happen again for another 95 or so years.

[UKcat]

I thought I remembered that it had something to do with the moon, which makes no sense to me, or something to do with an old religious calendar or something of that nature. It seems like I remember it being on or about the 30th of March one year, but never this early. My sister's birthday is April 16th; when we were kids it seemed that Easter was usually close to that date.

[Ukosumu]

During my lifetime Easter has fallen in March 6 times, but the earliest I remember is 1989. It was on March 26th then. In 2005 it fell on March 27th. The next time it will fall in March will be 2016. Then it's another 8 years before another March Easter (2024). The latest it has been in my lifetime was April 23rd, 2000. In 2011 it will fall on April 24th and just for grins, in 2018 it will fall on April 1st. :icon_mrgreen:

I remember Easter 1989 really well. It was my 20th birthday and Mom thought it would be cute to make me a bunny cake!:icon_rolleyes: Although the bunny was a little overboard, the cake was still goooood!:big_grin:

[trublu]

It seems strange having St. Patrick's Day and Easter in the same week.
I thought that Easter should always be after Passover. It just doesn't seem right to have it now.