When Is Easter? A Comprehensive Guide to 2024 Easter Dates

When is Easter?

According to the Georgian calendar, in 2024 Easter will be celebrated on Sunday, March 31

Although for many Eastern Orthodox churches, Easter is set to occur after the Julian calendar, which sets Easter 2024 on Sunday, May 5.

But n 2025, Easter will take place on April 20, according to both the Gregorian and Julian calendar.

The use of these two calendars results in different dates for Easter celebrations in certain years. However, regardless of the calendar, Easter remains a cherished holiday that holds great religious and cultural significance for millions of people around the world.

What is celebrated on Easter?

Easter is one of Christianity’s primary holidays. It stands for the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days following his crucifixion. This cherished holiday represents the joyful conclusion of the Lenten period of fasting and repentance.

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How is the date decided?

Easter is a movable Christian holiday, as it does not occur on a fixed date every year. In the Gregorian calendar, Easter consistently falls on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25. Nevertheless, within the Eastern Orthodox Church, Easter may be celebrated between April 4 and May 8.

Throughout the years, Easter Sunday has been consistently determined as the first Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon, which is defined as the first Sunday after the full Moon that occurs on or after the March or spring equinox.

In contrast to Christmas, which adheres to a fixed position in the solar calendar, Easter relies on the lunar patterns of the Jewish calendar. Within the Christian faith, the Last Supper, Jesus’s final meal with his apostles before his crucifixion, coincided with a Passover feast.

This lunar-based calculation, with a lunar month of approximately 29.5 days, accounts for the varying date of Easter.

One must remember the Christian Church consistently designates the spring equinox date as March 21 for simplicity, even though the astronomical date of the equinox can shift by a day or so. For instance, in 2023, the astronomical equinox date falls on Monday, March 20.

Consequently, this is often referred to as the “ecclesiastical” equinox, denoting the date used by the Church.

This unique calculation method, rooted in religious history, makes Easter a dynamic and spiritually significant holiday celebrated by millions around the world.

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What is the origin of Easter?

Easter holds the utmost significance in the Christian calendar as it commemorates the core belief of the Christian faith—the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This resurrection symbolizes the victory over evil, sin, death, and the physical body.

Easter Sunday serves as the culmination of Holy Week, concluding Lent and the Easter Triduum, which encompasses Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. It also marks the commencement of the Easter season within the liturgical calendar.

Easter’s significance as a Christian holiday traces its roots to the 2nd century AD, suggesting that the early Christian community may have commemorated Jesus’s resurrection from its very inception.

Notably, Easter’s connection to Jewish traditions is forged through the Last Supper, a pivotal event where Jesus partook in the Passover feast with his disciples just before his crucifixion. Easter, in essence, reveres the resurrection of Jesus, a cornerstone of Christian theology, signifying his triumphant victory over death, sin, and malevolence, and heralding salvation and eternal life for adherents.

Over the centuries, Easter has evolved into a holiday adorned with diverse customs and practices. These encompass solemn church services, whimsical appearances by the Easter Bunny, thrilling Easter egg hunts, and sumptuous festive meals.

The etymology of the term “Easter” is rather intricate. While its precise origin remains uncertain, it is not easily categorized as solely having religious or pagan roots. Some historians propose that it might have evolved from the Latin phrase “hebdomada alba”, meaning “white week”, a reference to the white attire worn by newly baptized Christians during Holy Week. In Old German, this evolved into “esostarum”, eventually becoming “Easter”.

Another theory traces its roots to Eostre, a dawn goddess of fertility associated with the Anglo-Saxons. Early Christians might have adopted this term to describe the Feast of the Resurrection, as it coincided with the month known as Eosturmonath, which we now refer to as April.

Alternatively, “Easter” could have derived from an old German word for “east”, which itself stemmed from a Latin term meaning “dawn”. Originally, “easter” could mean “to turn toward the east” or “rising” and did not necessarily carry any religious connotation.

In the end, the true etymological source of the word “Easter” remains a mystery. Nevertheless, regardless of its linguistic origins, Easter is now universally recognized as a Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Christ—an enduring reminder that death leads to life.

Happy Easter!

Más Colombia wishes you a Happy Easter and a joyous season!

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