Why is Easter in March and not April this year. How is Easter Sunday is determined?

The most important day of Holy Week is almost upon us as on 31 March, the Catholic Church will commemorate Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday. Through this celebration, the end of Lent is marked with Lent marking the period of 40 days and 40 nights that Jesus spent in the desert before his return to Jerusalem and Easter Sunday celebrating the resurrection of Christ from crucifixion two days earlier (on Good Friday).

Why will Easter fall in March and not April in 2024?

In previous years, the celebration of Easter has fallen in the month of April. However, for 2024, Easter Sunday was brought forward to March. Easter is a movable feast, that is, its date varies year by year, according to mathematical calculations based on the lunar and solar cycle.

In a simplified way, the celebration of Easter is determined based on the Sunday following the first full moon of the spring equinox, so Holy Week can fall between March 22 and on April 25. That said, in 2024, Easter Sunday will be celebrated on Sunday, March 31, a week earlier than the previous year.

How is Easter Sunday determined?

According to the Royal Museum Greenwich (London, UK), the method of determining the celebration of Easter was established by the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. Since the spring equinox occurs between 19-22 March, the first full moon of the season usually occurs on or after the 21st. Currently, there is something called the ‘metonic cycle’ that helps calculate the phases of the moon during a 19-year cycle. This calculation is what helps set the date of Easter, and Holy Week in general.

When will Easter be in 2025?

Following the algorithm explained by the Royal Museum of Greenwich, next year, Easter will again be celebrated in April with the 2027 celebration once again, set to be held late in the month of March.