How are Easter Sunday dates decided?

With Easter Sunday being celebrated today, April 4, the question about why the dates for the festival fluctuates with each passing year is natural. The determination criteria for Easter day has a lot of moving parts and takes into consideration various aspects like the vernal equinox, the Gregorian calendar and the running moon cycle. 

Unlike most western holidays, such as Christmas and Saint Patrick’s Day, Easter Sunday does not have a specific and constant date, which makes it harder to keep track of. Easter typically occurs exactly six and a half weeks after Ash Wednesday. Moreover, the day is bound to occur between a specific period that ranges from March 22 to April 25, every year. 

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In 2021, Ash Wednesday fell on February 17, when priests of various churches follow the tradition of applying ashes on the foreheads of churchgoers while quoting certain relevant verses of the Holy Bible. After this, the date for Easter is determined six and a half weeks later.

The intersection of the vernal equinox and phases of the moon also help in determining the exact dare for the holy festival. The ‘Paschal moon’, which is the first full moon that occurs after the equinox, signals the upcoming Sunday as Easter day. The cycle also indicates the spring season’s arrival in the northern hemisphere. 

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However, this year’s Easter celebrations might experience a slight slump as the COVID-19 pandemic looms over the world, hampering the excitement for the Easter bunny’s chocolate eggs and surprises. A socially distant Easter, however, would still be worth celebrating.