Easter paradox

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

Some of you may have been wondering why Easter is so late this year.
Actually, Easter ought to have taken place on March 24 of this year. But it didn't.
Does anybody know the answer to this paradox?
I'll give you a hint: The calculation of the date of Easter you learn at school is in fact wrong - in two regards!

[°Leprechaun]

Well, IDK the answer but I do know that there are usually TWO dates for Easter in most years.

Is the following explanation correct?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter#Computations

"Orthodox" Easter is always either the same day or later (usually later):

https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/orthodox-easter-day

Here is the best list, that I know of, of all Easter dates (for the first Easter of the two Easters):

https://www.staff.science.uu.nl/~gent0113/easter/easter_text2b.htm

(There are two lists on that link for both the Gregorian and Julian dates).

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

Well, IDK the answer but I do know that there are usually TWO dates for Easter in most years.

Is the following explanation correct?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter#Computations

"Orthodox" Easter is always either the same day or later (usually later):

https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/orthodox-easter-day

Here is the best list, that I know of, of all Easter dates (for the first Easter of the two Easters):

https://www.staff.science.uu.nl/~gent0113/easter/easter_text2b.htm

(There are two lists on that link for both the Gregorian and Julian dates).

No, sorry. I'm referring to our Catholic-Protestant Easter date calculation only. 🤷‍♂️

[TJ in Oregon]

Some of you may have been wondering why Easter is so late this year.
Actually, Easter ought to have taken place on March 24 of this year. But it didn't.
Does anybody know the answer to this paradox?
I'll give you a hint: The calculation of the date of Easter you learn at school is in fact wrong - in two regards!

Are you looking for the ecclesiastic use of March 21 as the beginning of spring, even though the astrological equinox can be earlier? Thus, in a situation like this year where the full moon occurred a few hours after the astrological equinox but still on March 20, we waited until April.

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

Are you looking for the ecclesiastic use of March 21 as the beginning of spring, even though the astrological equinox can be earlier? Thus, in a situation like this year where the full moon occurred a few hours after the astrological equinox but still on March 20, we waited until April.

Yes, but it's only one half of the correct answer. The Church always defines March 21 as the beginning of spring, no matter when the genuine Vernal Equinox happens.
But even under this circumstance Easter ought to have taken place on March 24, thus there must be another rule that is defined by the Church itself.

[TJ in Oregon]

Are you looking for the ecclesiastic use of March 21 as the beginning of spring, even though the astrological equinox can be earlier? Thus, in a situation like this year where the full moon occurred a few hours after the astrological equinox but still on March 20, we waited until April.

Yes, but it's only one half of the correct answer. The Church always defines March 21 as the beginning of spring, no matter when the genuine Vernal Equinox happens.
But even under this circumstance Easter ought to have taken place on March 24, thus there must be another rule that is defined by the Church itself.

I'm not sure I follow you. If Ecclesiastical Spring begins on March 21, and the first full moon after that is April 19, then why would Easter be on March 24th?

[Slander and/or Libel]

Are you looking for the ecclesiastic use of March 21 as the beginning of spring, even though the astrological equinox can be earlier? Thus, in a situation like this year where the full moon occurred a few hours after the astrological equinox but still on March 20, we waited until April.

Yes, but it's only one half of the correct answer. The Church always defines March 21 as the beginning of spring, no matter when the genuine Vernal Equinox happens.
But even under this circumstance Easter ought to have taken place on March 24, thus there must be another rule that is defined by the Church itself.

I'm not sure I follow you. If Ecclesiastical Spring begins on March 21, and the first full moon after that is April 19, then why would Easter be on March 24th?

From what I'm reading, the ecclesiastical full moon is defined as the fourteenth day of the lunar month, which may not always be the same as the actual full moon, as is the case this year.

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

I'm not sure I follow you. If Ecclesiastical Spring begins on March 21, and the first full moon after that is April 19, then why would Easter be on March 24th?

Sorry. You were right. What I was referring to was the the church's own lunar cycle, which needn't coincide with the astronomical lunar cycle, they use to calculate the date of Easter; but that wasn't a decisive factor in this year's determination.

The March 21 rule, btw, was defined by German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauß back in 1800. The reason for his model was the segmentation of the Earth into different time zones; the clergymen were at odds over what time zone should apply to the beginning of spring: Greenwich (due to the prime meridian) or Jerusalem (due to the the Jewish Passover, which provided the basis for the establishment of Easter)? Gauß postulated that March 21 should be the crucial date for the calculation.

The next Easter paradox, btw, will take place on April 25, 2018.

[SingingAnalyst]

Easter is calculated according to an ecclesiastical full moon table. This date can differ by one day either direction (occasionally two days) from the astronomical full moon.

The table is updated about 2/3 of the time for years ending in 00. Thus, near the end of a century, Easter can fall later than expected from the astronomical full moon (for example, in 2089, the moon is astronomically full on Saturday March 26 at 9:20 UT, yet Easter is April 3rd, not March 27th), while toward the beginning of a century, it can be earlier than expected (for example, in 2106 the full moon occurs on April 18, but Easter is April 18th, not April 25th.

FYI, Easter last fell on March 24 in 1940. It will not fall on March 24 again until 2391.

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

While toward the beginning of a century, it can be earlier than expected (for example, in 2106 the full moon occurs on April 18, but Easter is April 18th, not April 25th.

FYI, Easter last fell on March 24 in 1940. It will not fall on March 24 again until 2391.

Exactly. That's because the Vatican uses its own lunar cycle, which need't be congruent with the astronomical one.