Tuesday, March 18, 2008

A Special Easter This Year

Easter this year is a little more special than usual. Easter is always on the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20). This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that the Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.

I found out a couple of things that you might find interesting. Based on the above, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22) but that is pretty rare.

Here's the interesting information. This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives. And only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early (95 years old or above.) And none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier. Here are the facts:

1) The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 - 220 years from now. The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if you're 95 or older, you are the only ones that were around for that.)

2) The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 - 277 years from now. The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or ever will see it any earlier than this year!

3). Just hope that you are still around next week, or you will miss the event of your lifetime. I am skipping this one, I sticking around for the one on March 22 in the year 2285.

7 comments:

GrizzBabe said...

If I lived until 2285, would I even know what Easter was? Or would I care?

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

Cool info.

If I live that long (not) I hope they have a cure for dementia and other elder diseases!

Pamela said...

cryogenics?

e.Craig Crawford said...

In my neck o' the woods Easter Bonnets will be replaced by ear muffs this year.

At least I have the memory of many Easters with lots of warm sunshine and the fragrance of spring blooms in the air.

Southern (in)Sanity said...

Well, isn't that something? I wondered why Easter was so early this year.

Now I know.

Burfica said...

I thought it was earlier this year than any other year, and my in laws told me I was nuts. Nice to see that I'm not in this instance.

Olly said...

Either way, as long as there is chocolate - I don't care...