Easter Sunday is this weekend, and there’s been a lot of discourse online about why Easter’s date moves every year.
What you may not know is that the Easter date actually follows a formula, not a fixed date.
Let’s break down the “Easter Equation.”
It all starts with the spring equinox, which falls around March 19 to 21 each year. From there, you look for the first full moon after the equinox. Then Easter is celebrated on the Sunday that follows that full moon.
That’s why the date moves every year. The lunar cycle is around 29.5 days while our calendar is 28-31 days, so the two don’t match. That’s why you can have so much variance from year to year.
What’s even crazier? Easter next year is WAY early on March 28, 2027! In 2038, Easter will fall on April 25, which is the latest possible date! That’s incredibly rare and only happens about once every 100 to 150 years or about 1% of the time.
So while it might feel random, Easter is actually tied to both the sun and the moon, making it one of the most unique dates on the calendar.
READ MORE:Early Easter? Here’s why the Easter holiday will be in March next year
