Why Is Easter Celebrated On A Different Date Each Year?

Why Does Easter Fall on a Different Day Every Year? Part I of a Two-Part Series

According to Wikipedia, Easter is considered "the most important annual religious feast in the Christian liturgical year." However, there is not an exact date recorded for Jesus' resurrection, and Easter Day is not associated with a fixed calendar date. While it may appear there is a lot of misunderstanding and confusion about Easter, there are some historic and Biblical events which help pinpoint the resurrection of Jesus.

The death of Jesus is closely aligned with the Passover, and early church leaders made the decision to keep Easter tied to the meaningful Jewish holiday. However, the Jewish calendar is different from ours, and is based on solar and lunar cycles, not the the Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar.

The Last Supper & the Festival of Unleavened Bread

We know that Jesus' resurrection occurred after Passover because Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-25; and Luke 22:7-20 tell us that on the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread or Passover, Jesus sent two of his disciples ahead with instructions on where to prepare the Passover meal. That Passover meal became the Last Supper when Jesus prepared himself and his disciples for his death.

The Bible, Jewish tradition, and history give us several other indicators as to the time frame when Jesus rose from the dead. For instance, in John 19:14 we learn "It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon" when Jesus was sentenced to be crucified. John 19:31 tells us "Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath." The Jewish Sabbath corresponds to our Saturday. This is another clue to the timing of Jesus' death and resurrection.

Read Part II to find out more about the reasons Easter falls on a different date each year: Why Is Easter on a Different Date Each Year? A Look at Easter & Passover

Also see:

Easter Acrostic

Wonder - an Easter Poem

For Easter: Faint Ray of Daylight - an Easter Poem

The Best of Easter on Bukisa: Easter Articles, Poems, Crafts and More

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