When is Easter in 2014?
The dates of Easter are tied to the full Moon and the vernal equinox (not the civil calendar).
- Christian churches that follow the Gregorian calendar, such as many Western Christian churches, celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after the paschal full Moon on or just after the vernal equinox. For simplicity, the equinox is considered March 21. The paschal full Moon always falls on the 14th day of a lunar month; because ancient calculations did not take into account certain lunar motions, this date may be slightly off from the astronomical full Moon date.
- Certain Christian churches, such as many Eastern Orthodox churches, follow the Julian calendar, either for movable feasts or for all religious observances. Due to these different methods of calculation, various Christian denominations may celebrate the feast on different days.
- In Christian churches that follow the Gregorian calendar for determining the date of Easter, the observance can never occur before March 22 or after April 25. In Christian churches that follow the Julian calendar for determining the date of Easter, the observance can occur between April 4 and May 8 (using Gregorian calendar dates).
Easter Dates 2014
| Year | Gregorian |
Julian |
| 2012 | April 8 | April 15 |
| 2013 | March 31 | May 5 |
| 2014 | April 20 | April 20 |
| 2015 | April 5 | April 12 |
What is the Golden Number?
It’s a number in the 19-year cycle of the Moon. (The Moon repeats the dates of its phases approximately every 19 years.) Add 1 to any given year and divide the result by 19; the remainder is the Golden Number. If there is no remainder, the Golden Number is 19. The Golden Number is used in calculations for determining the date of Easter.
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The Eastern Orthodox also
The Eastern Orthodox also require that Easter follow Passover, so when Passover occurs late in the season, Pascha (Orthodox Easter) will occur in late April or early May, as in 2013.
In the Eastern Orthodox, if
In the Eastern Orthodox, if the first full moon after the vernal equinox is a Sunday, Pascha (Eastern Orthodox Easter) will be the following Sunday. Also, the Greek Orthodox is the only Eastern Orthodox denomination whose Church calendar follows the Gregorian calendar for the entire Church year EXCEPT that cannonically all Eastern Orthodox Churches "must" celebrate Easter on the same day. Therefore, the Greek Orthodox Church calendar switches from following Gregorian to following Julian and then back to Gregorian. For example, Greek Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on Dec. 25 (Gregorian) vs. all other Eastern Orthodox denominations' Christmas which is celebrated on Jan. 7 (Julian); since Jan. 7 is the Julian equivalent of Gregorian Dec. 25. That's why some years the Greek Orthodox Church has to move when it celebrates St. George's Day (April 25) [Gregorian] until after Easter if Easter falls before St. George's Day! Whew!
Correct except that St.
Correct except that St. George's day is celebrated after Pascha if Easter falls AFTER St. George's day...
St. George is on April 23 not
St. George is on April 23 not 25.
April 25 is the Feast Day of
April 25 is the Feast Day of St Mark the Evangelist, one of the writers of the New Testament Gospels.
St. George is May 1st.
St. George is May 1st.
The Greeks are great
The Greeks are great philosophers and discuss every point to minutia. i am puzzled why nott one thinking Greek Orthodox questions the inconsistency in setting Christmas according to one calendar and Easter according to another?
Because you're confusing the
Because you're confusing the ancient Polytheist Hellenistic "Greeks" with modern Christian Greeks.
The honor of logic and philosophy belongs to the Hellenistic people, not the modern Greeks. The word "Greek" has become synonymous with the Ancient Hellenes, but that's due to a lack of understanding history.
I believe that the use of the word "Greek" should only be used to describe modern Greeks and should not be confused with the ancient people of the region.
The ancient hellenes called themselves by the city state they lived or were from.
So, if you lived in Sparta you were a Spartan. If you were from Athens you were Athenian.
The modern word "Greek" is a much later construct, and has wrongly been used to include the ancient Hellenes.
It's now in common use, but there is a distinction with a difference, because the Hellenistic people did not call themselves "Greeks". Modern Greeks want this modern use of the word 'Greek' to also include the ancients as they want to be associated with that great culture. Remember the father in the movie "My big fat Greek wedding" and he believed everything comes from Greek?When in fact he was associating himself, a modern Greek, with the ancient Hellenistic culture that has major influence over modern western society. Many modern Greeks try to maneuver and explain that the modern word "Greek" comes from an the ancient word "Graeki", which is actually pronounced with the letter "G" as a "Y" sound like in "Yard". But, the word "Graeki" is an ancient Latin word used to describe all the people in the Hellene land. The ancient "Greeks" were not like modern Greeks even to the extent that they were Polytheists. Modern Greeks are Christians.
Greek Churches in Greece
Greek Churches in Greece celebrate Christmas on Jan 7 (Julian), while Greek Churches in USA celebrate on Dec. 25 (Gregorian).
That is not entirely the case
That is not entirely the case zoram. The church of Greece celebrates Xmas on December 25. But, there in an orthodox church in Greece that follows the Julian calendar, and therefore celebrate Xmas on January 7.
I have to disagree with this
I have to disagree with this comment. Christmas in Greece is celebrated on December 25th, it's a fact.
No, Greek Orthodox is not the
No, Greek Orthodox is not the only one. Romanian Orthodox does the same, in that it follows Gregorian and switches to Julian for Easter. Christmas is celebrated on December 25th.
The Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church (ROCOR) also strictly follows the Gregorian calendar.
I think you are mistaken. The
I think you are mistaken. The Orthodox Church follows the Julian (aka Caesarean) calendar that went into effect in 45 B.C. The Gregorean calendar was established in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII because every 131 years, the Caesarean calendar was off with equinoxes and solstices by one day which affects the date of Easter. In 2013, according to the Gregorian calendar, Easter is Mar 31. Pascha (Orthodox Easter) according to the JULIAN (aka Caesarean)calendar is May 5th.
The Ancient Church of the
The Ancient Church of the East also know as "Holy Apostolic Catholic Church of the East" follows the Julian Calendar for all of it's festivities. Recently in 2011 they changed Christmas day to be celebrated using the Gregorian Calendar all other church festivities are still using the Julian. Calendar
Saying that all Greek
Saying that all Greek Orthodox Churches follow the (new)Gregorian calendar is not accurate. The correct term for the calendar that is followed is neither the Gregorian nor Julian, but rather the Patristic Calendar. The early fathers used the Julian calendar and worked it over to create the dates and schedules of feasts for the church within the framework of the Julian calendar. When Pope Gregory undertook the project to create a (new) calendar, it's purpose was for more than to correct the flaws of the Julian calender, but to demonstrate his sole authority over the church. For this and other reasons, the church has never accepted this change and it was forced upon the Orthodox in Greece under the threat of death or imprisonment. Co-celebrating with heretics as many do with the (new)calender is clearly condemned in the anathamas read during the Sunday of Orthodoxy. There is only ONE HOLY CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH, not several divided by calendars. The fathers, through the ecumenical councils, determined the calendar, the Theology, and practices of the church that need to be held until a valid ecumenical council, guided by the Holy Spirit, determines otherwise.
Not ALL other Eastern
Not ALL other Eastern Orthodox denominations use Julian calendar to celebrate Christmas. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on December 25, using Gregorian calendar (small clarification, so you have your facts right)
Actually, it is merely
Actually, it is merely coincidence that the Orthodox Pascha always follows Passover. The current formula for calculating Easter was imposed after the early Church debate over Quartodecimenism, which celebrated the Pascha according to the Hebrew calendar. The basic problem was that with Quartodecimenism Easter could fall on any day of the week. Outside the Middle East, (as in Rome and North Africa)people were more disposed to keep Easter on Sunday because the original event was on Sunday. So a Council decreed the current formula. However, when Pope Gregory revised the calendar, the Orthodox churches refused to change their church kalendars, hence, their continued use of the Julian calendar. It is merely coincidence that for the last few centuries Orthodx Pashca always follows Passover; it was not so when the rule was first implemented. Another complication is the use of church kalendar data instead of accurate astronomical calendar data. The rule says that Easter falls on the first Sunday following the first full moon following the vernal equinox, but when I was a young man I was surprised one year to discover that Western Easter was celebrated a week later than the full moon as noted in the OFA. This, it turns out, was because of the calculations for the date of the full moon of the church kalendar, which is not astronomically accurate. Sorry, I can't remember the year.
_Astronomical Algorithms_ by
_Astronomical Algorithms_ by Jean Meeus lists the following years between 1900 & 2100 when the Gregorian Easter differs from "the purely astronomical rule": 1900, '03, '23, '24, '27, '43, '54, '62, '67, '74, 1981, 2038, '49, '69, '76, '89, '95, 2096. So we seem to be near the middle of an 'accurate patch'. The most frequent date is April 19.
Meeus also mentions that the dates of Julian Easter, according to the Julian (Old Style) calendar, repeat every 532 years. During that time the discrepancy between the Julian and Gregorian calendars increases by three to five days.
Not all Eastern churches
Not all Eastern churches follow the Julian calendar. My church, the Orthodox Church of America (OCA) follows the Western calendar and yet Easter is the same. That is because Easter is based on an event and not a date and yes, the event includes Passover having commenced.
Thanks guys! Now I better
Thanks guys! Now I better understand how and when Easter falls. I followed the directions on how to find the Golden Number. I got April 12 as Easter Sunday for the year 2020.
My remaining number was April
My remaining number was April 7, 2020. This is fun. I will check again.
Actually, it's not
Actually, it's not coincidence but Orthodox typology. The type always precedes the fulfillment, so Passover always precedes Pascha among the Orthodox.
It is incorrect and
It is incorrect and misleading to classify Julian calendar feasts and dates as Orthodox. There are other churches, such as , e.g. Ukrainian Catholic or Romanian Catholic who also follow this calendar.
It is amazing that in the 21-st century, when there is so much accommodation for even tiny splinter sects and religious groups, this kind of inaccuracy continues to be perpetuated by news services and other sources of supposedly accurate information.
Most Ukrainian
Most Ukrainian Greek/Byzantine CATHOLIC parishes follow the GREGORIAN calendar & celebrate Holy Thursday/Good Friday/Holy Saturday & EASTER on the SAME dates as the Roman Catholic Church. However, these parishes may also celebrate EASTER Sunday a second time, coinciding w/Greek, Russian, Ukrainian, etc. ORTHODOX, for all those die-hard purists who insist on celebrating according to the Julian way. So much for being "In COMMUNION w/ Rome & the Holy Father!... Sigh...
in ukraine, they celebrate
in ukraine, they celebrate according to the julian calendar only
No this is incorrect. ALL
No this is incorrect. ALL Ukrainian catholics of the Byzantine rite follow the Julian calendar not the Gregorian. We are in communion with Rome by virtue of a historical quirk. Liturgically we do not have any overlap with the Latin Rite. Christmas is celebrated as in the Orthodox churches on 07 January and Easter this year with be in May. (UK, Europe and Australasia, at least!!)
Where did you get this from?
Where did you get this from? I follow the Gregorian Calendar here and my Ukrainian Catholic friends in Canada follow the Gregorian Calendar, and so do my Ukrainian Catholic friends in Australia.
Sorry Maria, I am an
Sorry Maria,
I am an Australian born Ukrainian, strongly brought up in the Ukrainian culture and traditions by my migrant parents.
We have always - and still do - follow the Julian calendar here in Australia.
Often individual Orthodox
Often individual Orthodox families will decide to celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25th if they live in a country where the majority celebrate on the 25th. However, most of those families also celebrate or honor January 7th as Christmas based on their religion.
So for some Christian Orthodox families they will celebrate on the 25th by exchanging gifts and a family get together in response to the larger culture they live in. And then they will celebrate their religions Christmas observance on Jan. 7th, but this celebration is typically done in more religious somber fashion by gathering the family together for a feast. There is very little to no gift exchange, as that is done during the Dec. 25th celebration.
This is what my family and many many other Eastern Orthodox families do who live in western countries dominated by western Christian faiths, which are mainly Catholic and Protestant, and the all the other faiths the stem from Protestantism.
This is common in the USA and some places in Canada that have larger Eastern Orthodox populations.
So there can be faith based and cultural based celebrations of Christmas, especially in countries that have more forgiving notions about separating religion from the greater general culture.
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