Easter Past And Present
Mar 21st, 2008 by Brian Hurlburt
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For centuries we’ve been celebrating Easter and why should this year be any different!?
Ah, but it is different!
This is the first time I can remember Easter being celebrated this early in the year. That’s not to say that it’s the first time, nor even that it’s the first time I’ve experienced an Easter this early in the year. However it is the earliest I ever remember it being this early and the way I know that is that it’s the first time I ever remember Easter coming before my birthday which is 26 March (you guess the year!)
Easter today celebrates the death and resurrection of Christ, that which fulfills the Law, and that promises eternal; life for those that believe. The Bible teaches that whosoever will may come, that through the death of Jesus Christ paid the penalty for sin for all who believe in Him, and His resurrection gave Him power over death and grants eternal life with Him to all who confess their sins and believe in Him as Lord and Saviour. Since that is the central message in and throughout the Bible it’s little wonder that Easter holds such an important part in the Christian life and Calendar.
Why then does the date change so?
According to The Easter Page — Traditions, History, and Dates of Easter the reason dates back to 325 AD. The Easter Page states, “Prior to A.D. 325, Easter was variously celebrated on different days of the week, including Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In that year, the Council of Nicaea was convened by emperor Constantine. It issued the Easter Rule which states that Easter shall be celebrated on the first Sunday that occurs after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox. However, a caveat must be introduced here. The “full moon” in the rule is the ecclesiastical full moon, which is defined as the fourteenth day of a tabular lunation, where day 1 corresponds to the ecclesiastical New Moon. It does not always occur on the same date as the astronomical full moon. The ecclesiastical “vernal equinox” is always on March 21. Therefore, Easter must be celebrated on a Sunday between the dates of March 22 and April 25. “
“Why”, you might ask, “would such an important date on the Christian Calendar be tied so closely with the cycles of the Moon?”
Thanks for asking, I was hoping you would…
You see, according to the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, “Modern-day Easter is derived from two ancient traditions: one Judeo-Christian and the other Pagan. Both Christians and Pagans have celebrated death and resurrection themes following the Spring Equinox for millennia. Most religious historians believe that many elements of the Christian observance of Easter were derived from earlier Pagan celebrations.”
Perhaps another reason, or a supporting reason, for this is that in 325 AD the Church was growing and taking over many traditional worship places and other aspects of the Pagan world. If Christians were building their Churches and worshiping on Pagan sites then it only goes to figure they were also incorporating other traditions and customs that came at the time Pagans were being convirted to Christianity. One such occasion is Easter.
My somewhat unresolved questions are, “If it was only about 300 years after the death of Christ why did they not know, or celebrate, the specific date?” Why link it around a Pagan Festival? Why was it so tied to the Moon and lunar cycles as were other Pagan Festivals?
(I invite you to carry on that discussion via the “Comments Section” below)
Whatever the reasons, the fact remains that Easter, at least for the Christian Church, is the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection and what He has done for all of us past and present.
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For YarmouthCounty.com, this has been Brian Hurlburt, and I invite you to Make it a great day!
Sincerely,
Brian Hurlburt
customerservice@yarmouthcounty.com
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Helpful Links
The Easter Page — Traditions, History, and Dates of Easter
Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Kaboose.com: Fun Pages for the entire Family
Easter Bunny, Easter Basket Crafts, Coloring Pages, Spring Recipes and Easter Egg Hunt Ideas
Hi Brian,,, very interesting, a lot of people ask that question actually.
But this year is to cold to even feel like Easter or spring ffor that matter especially after spending 8 weeks in Florida… (LOL)
Have a wonderful weekend and God Bless
Ah what an avid preacher you make! Complete with some doctrinal lessons, some history, some research and some unanswerable questions. It boogies the mind, befuddles it as most religions are intent on doing combined with providing answers. It is the swirl of thoughts that I find amusing like swinging a partner at a square dance! Such Fun!!!
(add to the above)
King Constantine was the first Christian Roman Emperor, and was born in Macedonia not far from my parents’ villages. Yes, he did a great deal to unite and unify the christian teachings of the day, including the Apostles Creed that fixed the essentials of Christianity. The pity is that at that time the Council threw out an awful lot of other christin thoughts and writings, made hammer-hard decisions about things, like the birth and death of the main character in the story and the virgin birth (3 Centuries after the events were supposed to have happened which is sort of a miracle in itself after such a passage of centuries). Like everyone else we want answers and he and his council were prepared to provide them….while clinging to the MYSTERIES which I perfer and enjoy more. Keep writing, it sometimes clears the head. As ever….Alex