# Why can't they get the date of Easter nailed down? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 28, 2002, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-they-get-the-date-of-easter-nailed-down/100552 "2002-03-28T13:57:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![smaft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@smaft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smaft)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-they-get-the-date-of-easter-nailed-down/100552/21 "2002-03-28T18:15:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by obfusciatrist \* > If you want a good book that takes you through all the twists and turns of this question I suggest reading [Calendar: Humanity’s Epic Struggle to Determine a True and Accurate Year](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0380793245) by David Ewing Duncan. Absolutely! Although the title makes it sound tedious, it’s definitely one of the most interesting reads I’ve ever, um, read. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-they-get-the-date-of-easter-nailed-down/100552/22 "2002-03-28T18:50:38Z")
The date of Easter just throws everyone off a bit because it’s tied into the calendars used by other religions in a way, although most of the world uses a calendar that was set by the Pope, the head of a religion for which Easter is the principal holiday. Ramadan migrates throughout the year and the High holy days of Judaism vary as well. I don’t see any particularly good reason to fix the date of Easter. I suppose it would make it easier to schedule spring break for Notre Dame University, but that would be about it. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-they-get-the-date-of-easter-nailed-down/100552/23 "2002-03-28T19:05:31Z")
[A page](http://wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/faith/easter.html) from the World Council of Churches site on why Easter is different in the Orthodox and Western churches. And a few recommendations on re-aligning them… ---
**Author:** ![dreamlab](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8dc957/32.png) [@dreamlab](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dreamlab)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-they-get-the-date-of-easter-nailed-down/100552/24 "2002-03-28T22:54:32Z")
I’m reminded of my encounter with an “induhvidual” (Scot Adams fans will recognize the term) who, when I explained about Easter, the full moon, and the equinox, totally disagreed stating “That’s not how they figure it out. Easter occurs forty days after Ash Wednesday!” Yet another event in my life that makes me believe that religion is the silliest concept ever devised by man. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-they-get-the-date-of-easter-nailed-down/100552/25 "2002-03-29T01:44:14Z")
\>\> So how the hell does the Easter bunny figure all this out? If he sees his shadow he knows it’s 41 more days. \>\> Easter occurs forty days after Ash Wednesday Actually it is 41 days after Mardi Gras. Ask the Easter Bunny. ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-they-get-the-date-of-easter-nailed-down/100552/26 "2002-03-29T02:08:16Z")
H8\_2\_W8 sez: I’m a little disappointed no one took me to task regarding the “nailed down” aspect of my question about Easter. * * * Oh, you’re going to fry for that one. We had a different take on the Groundhog Day aspect: 3 days later, the stone is rolled away from the cave, and if he sees his shadow… Easter is even MORE “paganed” than Christmas - Bunnies, eggs, you do the math. Fertility spring festival. Let’s tack on some holy significance! ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-they-get-the-date-of-easter-nailed-down/100552/27 "2002-03-29T05:28:21Z")
Just in case no-one got to it already, here’s [Cecil’s](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_126a.html) take on the subject. ---
**Author:** ![Swirdle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Swirdle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swirdle)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-they-get-the-date-of-easter-nailed-down/100552/28 "2002-03-29T07:44:20Z")
I don’t mean to hijack this thread but … Does Mother’s Day have a defined relationship to Easter? … and why would the US and UK have different Mother’s Day dates if it does have a set relationship? ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-they-get-the-date-of-easter-nailed-down/100552/29 "2002-03-30T17:06:11Z")
No, mother’s day has a defined relationship to Christmas. It’s the Sunday nearest to 25 March which, being nine months before 25 December, is when the Annunciation is marked. The US celebrates it on a different day because in the US the day is determined by the Hallmark Card company. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-they-get-the-date-of-easter-nailed-down/100552/30 "2002-03-30T19:31:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dreamlab \* > \*\*I’m reminded of my encounter with an “induhvidual” (Scot Adams fans will recognize the term) who, when I explained about Easter, the full moon, and the equinox, totally disagreed stating > > “That’s not how they figure it out. Easter occurs forty days after Ash Wednesday!” > > Yet another event in my life that makes me believe that religion is the silliest concept ever devised by man. \*\* Actually it’s 46 days after Ash Wednesday. However Ascension Thursday is 40 days after Easter. ---
**Author:** ![dqa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-they-get-the-date-of-easter-nailed-down/100552/31 "2002-03-30T19:40:48Z")
In the Eastern tradition, there is no Ash Wednesday, and Lent begins on a Monday. > [@](#): > > \*From [Byzantines.net\*](http://www.byzantines.net/feasts/lent/greatfast.htm) > **Originally, the forty-day period was computed from Good Friday, the day the Pasch of Crucifixion was celebrated, and then extended to six weeks. In Constantinople, when they transferred the solemn Baptism from Easter to the Saturday of Lazarus, the Lenten season of preparation also had to be anticipated by one week. Thus…the Great Fast began seven weeks before Easter and ended on the Friday before the Saturday of Lazarus…and is exactly forty days long.** [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-they-get-the-date-of-easter-nailed-down/100552.md?page=1)