How is the date of Easter decided?

Easter celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the most important feast in the Christian calendar.

Easter Sunday does not come on the same date every year, but falls sometime between March 22 and April 25. It falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following March 21, the vernal equinox (the time in spring when day and night are of equal length). The date of Easter Sunday was established by the church council of Nicaca in 325 A.D.

Easter Sunday ends a period of preparing for the feast of Easter. This 40-day period of prayer and fasting, called Lent, begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter. The Lenten fast commemorates Christ’s 40-day fast in the desert.

The week from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday is known as Holy Week. During Holy Week, church services remind us of the last days of Christ’s life on Earth. Palm Sunday marks Christ’s entry into Jerusalem. Holy Thursday, also called Maundy Thursday, marks the Last Supper. Good Friday marks Christ’s crucifixion, and Easter Sunday his resurrection.

There are many customs that have developed around Easter. The custom of sunrise service on Easter Sunday can be traced to ancient spring festivals that celebrated the rising sun. The new clothes worn on Easter Sunday are a symbol of new life. The custom comes from the baptism on Easter Sunday of early Christians, who were led into the church wearing new robes of white linen. The egg is an Easter symbol because it is a symbol of life.