What date is Easter and what does it depend on. Question to the priest. Why is Easter celebrated at different times? What is served on the Bright Resurrection of Christ

Undoubtedly, the pagan holiday - Radonitsa - has found its place in a series of Orthodox holidays recognized by the church. There is a holiday on the second week after Easter - Fomin's week, on Tuesday. On this day, the Orthodox visit the graves of deceased relatives and delight them with blessed memory.

Pagan Radonitsa in the Orthodox calendar

Commemoration of deceased relatives on their graves is an ancient Slavic tradition. It is customary to leave treats for ancestors on mounds with the same roots. For more than 16 centuries, this tradition has existed among the Slavic peoples. The Church recognized this custom, and the Orthodox calendar was replenished with a new significant date - the day of commemoration of parents, parental day.

No one disputes the pagan origin of Parents' Day, but the Orthodox Church considered it appropriate to respectfully commemorate the dead. The date was tied to Easter in the church calendar, like most Orthodox holidays with pagan origins.

Radonitsa in 2018 (Parents' Day) falls on Tuesday of St. Thomas' week. Fomin's week is the second week after Easter, that is, the holiday lags behind Easter by 9 days.

What is the date of Radonitsa in 2018

Strictly speaking, Parental holidays mean the 8th and 9th days after Easter, that is, Monday and Tuesday on St. Thomas' week. But in the end, the tradition took root to visit the graves of deceased relatives on Tuesday.

In Rus', Radonitsa had many names: Radunitsa, Radoshnitsa, Joyful, Radunets and others. In fact, this is a holiday of commemoration of deceased relatives, primarily parents. Ancient traditions require laying flowers on the grave, leaving offerings in the form of painted eggs and Easter cakes.

This is the date when the living "communicate" with their dead relatives, tell them about themselves. It is believed that the dead rejoice at the arrival of relatives. Those who have been forgotten by relatives, on the contrary, are sad. Old customs exclude sadness, sadness and tears.

It is necessary to rejoice in communication with relatives who have gone to another world. Tears and grief will disturb the souls of the deceased - they want to see their families prosperous and happy. At the resting place, they heartily treated themselves to delicious food, told the dead about their lives, about the bright memory that lives in the soul.

The Radonitsa holiday suggests fun without revelry, strict and thoughtful. No need to drink, sing songs and behave like at a merry holiday.

Radoshnitsa within Orthodoxy

Orthodox traditions, which are woven into the pagan holiday, involve the performance of a number of church rites. It is believed that Radoshnitsa is Easter for the dead, when they rejoice at the resurrection of Christ. The resurrection of Jesus gives everyone hope for eternal life and excludes sadness and tears from Radoshnitsa.

As on Easter, they bake Easter cakes and various delicious pastries, paint eggs - they are consecrated in the church. After Fomin, Sundays begin to sing litias for the dead. Orthodox Christians begin the morning of Parents' Day with a prayer in memory of the departed, lighting memorial candles. On

Radoshnitsa cannot be denied alms - all those who ask must receive alms. On Radonitsa they don’t swear, they don’t slander, they don’t deceive.

The church took Radonitsa under its patronage. This is the day of commemoration of the dead, a tribute to their blessed memory and their place in the hearts of relatives. We should not forget the essence of the celebration either at the cemetery or after, at home gatherings. What restrictions does the church set when visiting graves?

Orthodoxy recognizes Parents' Day as a holiday of joyful commemoration of the dead. But joy should be bright, spiritualized, and it is better to bring it to the departed relatives by prayer.

True believers spend the holiday in prayer and spiritual joys. Radoshnitsy is advised to start the morning in the temple, where you can order a memorial service, pray for the departed and distribute cooked food and alms to those in need.

At the cemetery on Parents' Day, they take care of the grave - they remove garbage, straighten and paint the fences, decorate the grave with flowers. The only offering approved by the Orthodox Church is flowers and a lit candle in memory of the deceased. Then you need to offer a prayer - without tears, without sadness, just from the heart to communicate with relatives who are no longer around. Surely all prayers will be answered.

Folk omens for Radonitsa

In the old days, people believed that the dead visit their home on Radonitsa. They heated a bath for them and left clean linen in it - for a day after that they did not wash in the bath and did not enter it. Only after the end of Radoshnitsa did everyone wash in the bath.

For the dead, cups of water were placed on the window, and three extra plates were placed on the table. Of these, the deceased had to have breakfast, lunch and dinner. On Radonitsa, food was prepared to commemorate the dead and distributed to those in need.

On Radunitsa there was a main tradition - calling the rain. It is believed that it always rains on Radunitsa. The children waited all day for the rain and called out to him, washed themselves with rainwater - for good luck. Rain today promised a rich harvest.

Girls, in those cases when the rain poured down without thunder, washed themselves with rainwater through rings, silver or gold. It was believed that this would help preserve beauty and youth. On Parental Day in Rus', nothing was sown or planted - those who did this were promised a meager and poor harvest.

It was possible to work for Radonitsa only in the morning - all work was completed by lunchtime, then everyone - both old and young - went to the cemetery to commemorate the dead. In the evening on Parents' Day, everyone went out for a walk, the youth danced and sang until the morning - in the evening no one worked on Radunitsa.

Although fun and joy are encouraged on this day, it is still worth remembering that this is the day of blessed memory of the departed. A feast and fun should come after attending a church service, prayers and visiting the graves of deceased relatives.

When is Easter this year? And when is carnival? When does Lent start? These are the questions people ask each other year after year. Many are surprised: why some church holidays are celebrated on the same day from year to year, while others fall on different dates each time? How are these dates determined? Let's figure it out.

Easter in the Old Testament

The celebration of Easter among the Jews was established by the prophet Moses in honor of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt (see Pesach). “Keep the Passover to the Lord your God, because in the month of Nisan (Aviv) the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night” (Deut. 16:1). In memory of the exodus on Easter, a ritual slaughter of a one-year-old male lamb, without blemish, was prescribed, it should have been baked on fire, and eaten completely, without breaking the bones, with unleavened bread (unleavened, unleavened bread) and bitter herbs in the family circle during the Easter night ( Exod. 12:1-28; Num. 9:1-14). After the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, ritual slaughter became impossible, so the Jews on Pesach eat only unleavened bread - matzah.

Easter among the early Christians

In the Christian Church, Easter has been celebrated since the first centuries, but due to local traditions, peculiarities of the calendar and calculations in the communities of different cities, the days of celebrating Easter did not coincide. Therefore, at the First Ecumenical Council in 325, it was decided to adopt a single method for the entire Christian world to determine the date of Easter. Then it was decided that Christians should not follow the custom of the Jews in determining the day of this most holy celebration. At the Council it was forbidden to celebrate Easter "before the spring equinox together with the Jews."

When is Easter this year?

In 2019, Orthodox Christians will celebrate Easter on April 28. The date of the celebration of Easter is determined by a special calculation called the Orthodox Paschalia.

Easter is a calculation system that allows, using special tables that determine the relationship of a large number of calendar and astronomical quantities, to determine the dates of the celebration of Easter and passing church holidays for any given year.

The Russian Orthodox Church uses the traditional Julian calendar, created under Julius Caesar in 45 BC, to calculate the date of the celebration of Easter and passing holidays. This calendar is often referred to as the "old style". Western Christians use the Gregorian calendar, introduced in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII. It is commonly referred to as "new style".

According to the rules of the First Ecumenical Council (325, Nicaea), Orthodox Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the spring full moon, which comes after or on the day of the spring equinox, if this Sunday falls after the day of the Jewish Passover; otherwise, the celebration of Orthodox Easter is transferred to the first Sunday after the day of Jewish Passover.

Thus, the day of the celebration of Easter falls within the limits of March 22 to April 25 of the old style, or from April 4 to May 8 of the new style. After calculating the date of Easter, a calendar of the rest of the passing church holidays is compiled.

Church holidays

Every day of the calendar year is dedicated by the Church to the commemoration of one or another sacred event, the celebration of the memory of saints, or the glorification of the miraculous icons of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The most important day of the church year is the feast of the Holy Resurrection of Christ, or Easter. The next in importance are the 12 great twelfth holidays (the name itself - the twelfth - indicates their number). Then, according to the meaning, the Church singles out 5 great holidays. There are other feast days marked by the celebration of solemn divine services. Sundays stand out in particular, which are also dedicated to the remembrance of the Resurrection of the Lord and are called "Little Pascha".

The twelfth holidays are divided into non-transitory and transitory. Dates of non-transferable holidays do not change from year to year; Passover holidays fall on different dates every year and depend on which day in the current year Easter falls on. The beginning of Great Lent, the popularly beloved Pancake week, Palm Sunday, as well as the Ascension and the day of the Holy Trinity also depend on the date of Easter.

The twelfth feasts are divided into Lord's (in honor of the Lord Jesus Christ) or Mother of God (dedicated to the Mother of God). Some of the events that became the basis for the holidays are described in the Gospel, and some are established on the basis of church tradition.

The Twelfth Passing Holidays:

  • Holy Christ's Resurrection. Easter
  • Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Palm Sunday (7 days before Easter)
  • Ascension of the Lord (on the 40th day after Easter)
  • Day of the Holy Trinity. Pentecost (50th day after Easter)

Twelfth non-passing holidays:

  • September 21 - Nativity of the Blessed Virgin.
  • September 27 - Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
  • December 4 - Entry into the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos.
  • January 7 - Christmas.
  • January 19 - Epiphany. Epiphany.
  • February 15 - Meeting of the Lord.
  • April 7 - Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin.
  • August 19 - Transfiguration of the Lord.
  • August 28 - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin.


great post

Easter is preceded by Great Lent - the strictest and longest of all Orthodox fasts. When does Lent start? It depends on the date on which Easter falls in the current year. Fasting always lasts 48 days: 40 days of Great Lent proper, called Forty Days, and 8 days of Holy Week, starting from Lazarus Saturday until Great Saturday on the eve of Easter. Therefore, the beginning of fasting is easy to determine by counting 7 weeks from the date of Easter.

The significance of Great Lent lies not only in the strict rules of abstinence from food (tasting only plant foods is prescribed, fish is allowed only twice - on the Annunciation and on Palm Sunday), and avoiding various entertainments and amusements, but also in a very deep liturgical system in its content. . The services of Great Lent are very special, unlike anything else. Each Sunday is dedicated to its own special theme, and together they set the believers to deep humility before God and repentance for their sins.

How is the date of Easter calculated?

In the era of the creation of Paschalia (the system for calculating the dates of Easter), people represented the passage of time differently than now. They believed that all events occur in a circle (“everything returns to normal”). And the whole variety of events is determined by the fact that there are many such “circles” (“cycles”) and they are of different sizes. In a circle, day is replaced by night, summer - winter, new moon - full moon.

It is difficult for a modern person to imagine this, since in his mind he builds a “straight line” of historical events from the past to the future.

The simplest and most famous (and still used) circle is the day of the week circle. Sunday is followed by Monday, Monday is followed by Tuesday, and so on until the next Sunday, followed by Monday again.

The calculation of the date of Easter is based on two cycles: solar (28 years) and lunar (19 years). Each year has its own number in each of these cycles (these numbers are called "circle of the Sun" and "circle of the Moon"), and their combination is repeated only once every 532 years (this interval is called the "Great Indiction").

The "Circle of the Sun" is associated with the Julian calendar, in which 3 consecutive years are simple (365 days each), and the fourth is a leap year (366 days). To harmonize a cycle of 4 years with a 7-day weekly cycle, a cycle of 28 years (7?4) was created. After 28 years, the days of the week will fall on the same numbers of the months of the Julian calendar (in the "new" "Gregorian" calendar, everything is more complicated ...). That is, the calendar of 1983 had exactly the same form as the calendar of 2011 (1983+28=2011). For example, the 1st (14th according to the “new style”) of January 2011 is Friday; and January 1st, 1983 was also a Friday.

That is, the "circle of the Sun" helps to find out on which days of the week the corresponding numbers of the months of the year fall.

"Circle of the Moon" is designed to coordinate the lunar phases (new moon, full moon, etc.) with the dates of the Julian calendar. It is based on the fact that 19 solar years is almost exactly equal to 235 lunar months.

An equinox is the moment when the Sun, in its apparent motion, crosses the "celestial equator". At this time, the length of the day is equal to the length of the night, and the Sun rises exactly in the East and sets exactly in the West.

A solar year (otherwise called a "tropical year") is the interval between two successive spring equinoxes. Its duration is 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes 46 seconds (365.2422 days). In the Julian calendar, for convenience and simplicity, the length of the year is taken to be 365 days 6 hours (365.25 days). In about 128 years, the spring equinox is shifted by one day (in the 15th century of the "new era" the equinox was March 12-13, and in the 20th - March 7-8).

The lunar month (otherwise called "synodic") is the interval between two new moons. Its average duration is 29 days 12 hours 44 minutes 3 seconds (29.53059 days).

That is why it turns out that 19 solar years (19365.2422=6939.6018 days) is approximately 235 lunar months (23529.53059=6939.6887 days).

After 19 years, the lunar phases (full moons, for example) will fall on the same numbers of the Julian calendar (this is not observed for long periods of time - an error of one day accumulates for approximately 310 years). We are talking, of course, about average values. The actual dates of the lunar phases, due to the complexity of the movement of the moon, may deviate from the average values. For example, the real full moon in Moscow in April 1990 was on the 10th (“new style”) at 06:19, and in 2009 (19 years after 1990) - on April 9 ( "new style") at 17:55.

Based on the tables obtained, it is possible to determine the date of Easter for any year.

Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) gives a not so clear, but more mathematically simple method of calculating the date of Orthodox Easter: “Of all the practical methods of calculation, the method proposed by the greatest German mathematician Karl Gauss (1777 - 1855) is recognized as the simplest. Divide the number of the year by 19 and call the remainder "a"; the remainder of the division of the number of the year by 4 will be denoted by the letter “b”, and through “c” the remainder of the division of the number of the year by 7. Divide the value 19 x a + 15 by 30 and call the remainder the letter “d”. The remainder of the division by 7 of the value 2 x b + 4 x c + 6 x d + 6 is denoted by the letter "e". The number 22 + d + e will be the day of Easter for March, and the number d + e - 9 for April. For example, let's take 1996. From dividing it by 19 there will be a remainder of 1 (a). When divided by 4, the remainder will be zero (b). Dividing the number of the year by 7, we get the remainder 1 (s). If we continue the calculations, we get: d \u003d 4, and e \u003d 6. Therefore, 4 + 6 - 9 \u003d April 1 (Julian calendar - old style - approx. editions)».

When is Easter for Catholics?

In 1583, in the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Gregory XIII introduced a new Paschal, called the Gregorian. As a result of the change in Paschalia, the whole calendar has changed. As a result of the transition to more precise astronomical dates, Catholic Easter is often celebrated earlier than Jewish or on the same day, and in some years ahead of Orthodox Easter by more than a month.

The discrepancy between the dates of Orthodox Easter and Catholic Easter is caused by the difference in the date of church full moons, and the difference between solar calendars - 13 days in the 21st century. Western Easter in 45% of cases is a week earlier than Orthodox, in 30% of cases it coincides, 5% is a difference of 4 weeks, and 20% is a difference of 5 weeks (more than the lunar cycle). There is no difference in 2-3 weeks.

1. G \u003d (Y mod 19) + 1 (G is the so-called "golden number in the metonic" cycle - the 19-year cycle of full moons)
2. C \u003d (Y / 100) + 1 (if Y is not a multiple of 100, then C is the century number)
3. X = 3*C/4 - 12
4. Z = (8*C + 5)/25 - 5 (synchronization with the lunar orbit, the year is not a multiple of the lunar month)
5. D \u003d 5 * Y / 4 - X - 10 (in March, the day? D mod 7 will be Sunday)
6. E \u003d (10 * G + 20 + Z - X) mod 30 (epakta - indicates the day of the full moon)
7. IF (E = 24) OR (E = 25 AND G > 11) THEN increase E by 1
8. N \u003d 44 - E (N-th of March - the day of the calendar full moon)
9. IF N 10. N = N + 7 - (D + N) mod 7
11. IF N > 31 THEN the date of Easter (N ? 31) April ELSE the date of Easter N March

Photo - photobank Lori

Easter is one of the best holidays for the whole nation, it is celebrated by people of all religions. But since we are Orthodox Christians, I would like to suggest briefly getting acquainted with its customs and traditions before moving on to the date of the celebration of Christ's Resurrection.

In my past articles, I have already told you how to bake delicious and simple, and. And also, how beautiful and original. These are all attributes of this day. Moreover, Easter cakes symbolize life, and colored eggs symbolize rebirth and the beginning of a new life.

On the Resurrection of the Lord, it is customary to go to church and defend the service.

You can also light eggs and Easter cakes in it, that is, they put a candle between them and while the service is in progress, it should not fade. But already at home at the table, you must first eat the egg and Easter cake, and only then the cooked dishes.

Even on this day, there is a tradition to visit each other and exchange Easter cakes and eggs. There is even such a comic game invented earlier: to fight with colored eggs.

The one who beats says: Christ is risen, and the other answers truly risen and whose dye is broken, he gives it to the one who has the whole left.

In fact, with these words, the believers kissed and exchanged Easter eggs and began to celebrate. What colors can eggs be dyed and what do they mean:

1. Red - symbolizes the life and rebirth of Jesus Christ. Since he was resurrected, life began with an egg.

2. Blue (light blue) is the color of love and understanding.

3. Yellow is a symbol of wealth and prosperity.

4. White - spirituality, frequency.

5. They do not paint black, it is attributed to grief and sadness.

My parents also told me an interesting custom. Only I don’t know if this is true or not, but on this church holiday, they go to Christ before dinner. Moreover, a man should enter the house first, then the one to whom you came will live in abundance this year.

Well, you briefly got acquainted with the traditions and customs, and now let's move on to the main thing.

It can fall out on different dates. One year happens in May, the other in March, one thing is known: it can only be on Sunday. There is a certain rule by which you can navigate. It is celebrated in the spring on the first Sunday after the full moon, which follows the spring equinox.

Easter is Orthodox and Catholic, but opinions on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are different. Therefore, farmers use such factors when calculating:

  1. Lunar calendar (rotation of the moon around the earth's axis);
  2. Solar calendar (rotation of the earth around the sun);
  3. The generally accepted day to celebrate is Sunday.

Therefore, it is defined as follows, if it comes earlier than March 21 (the day of the vernal equinox), then the last phase of the moon is taken into account according to Easter. But sometimes the full moon falls on Easter Sunday, then Easter is celebrated on the following Sunday.

Also, if you are interested, you can watch the video when it falls before 2027.

So we have decided when the Resurrection of the Lord will be, and now let's move on to the next chapter. I think for those who are interested in this, it will be no less interesting.

What date is Catholic Easter?

The celebration of Orthodox and Catholic Easter falls on different days every year. And the second a week or two earlier than the first. However, there are dates when they coincide, an example of this was 2017. You can also calculate this day according to the lunar-solar calendar.

The Catholic one differs significantly from the Orthodox one not only in the date of calculation, but also in different symbols and paraphernalia.

Egg: is considered the main food for this holiday and they fall in a special basket with beautiful decorations or put on green grass of even height, which is grown specifically for this.

Easter Bunny: another symbol of the holiday. By the way, how to make it yourself, you can see in this. He paints and decorates eggs all night, and in the morning in the garden or in the garden hides them in the grass so that in the morning every child wakes up and finds a surprise for himself. Moreover, Easter eggs can be not only eggs, but also sweets, apples, pears.

Hen: also an irreplaceable attribute of Catholic Easter. Chickens decorate all Catholic houses. And the stores sell all sorts of sweets with their image. She is also drawn on any invitation cards for a gala dinner.

Flowers: the best decoration of the festive table, they are specially grown in pots for this holiday. They exist in almost all homes.

Easter wreath: is made as a decoration for offering Easter eggs to the table.

Also, it can serve as a decoration on the walls or on the doors in the house.

When is parent's day?

It is also called Radunitsa - a memorial day, that is, the memory of the deceased parents, relatives and loved ones who used to live on earth. Parents' Day is both a sad and joyful holiday. Moreover, it is considered the second because on this day they rejoice for the dead, that they have passed into eternal life.

You can commemorate parents, relatives and relatives not only on Tuesday, but there are also parental Saturdays, the dates of which are recorded in the church calendar. For a Christian, these days are especially important, because he must definitely know them in order to remember and commemorate the soul of the dead in time.

But in no case do not commemorate the dead on Easter. On this particular day, this cannot be done!

Memorial days in 2020:

  • February 22 - Ecumenical meat and meat Saturday;
  • March 14 - the second memorial parental Saturday;
  • March 21 - the third memorial Saturday;
  • March 28 - the fourth memorial Saturday;
  • April 28 - Radunitsa is the main day for commemoration;
  • May 9 - commemorate the dead soldiers;
  • June 6 - Trinity Saturday;
  • November 7 - Dmitriev Saturday.

What should you do on Parents' Day? How to remember? So it turns out that the people and the church are constantly at odds. That is, people are accustomed to taking Easter cakes, eggs, meat products and going to the cemetery to drink vodka and eat the food they brought. The remains of food and drink are left for the souls of the dead.

The Church, on the other hand, says the opposite: no vodka, no Easter cakes will replace the words of prayer. After the commemoration, it is recommended to remove the grave from weeds and other thickets. And those who strongly believe in Orthodox traditions invite a priest to perform a prayer service and light candles for peace.

When is Red Hill for the Orthodox this year?

This holiday also changes every year, depending on when Easter comes. To make the calculation yourself, you need to remember that Krasnaya Gorka is celebrated on the next Sunday after Easter.

Anti Easter or Fomina Sunday (another name for Krasnaya Gorka) is celebrated on April 26, 2020.

According to old Slavic traditions, this day is cheerful and joyful. Women dressed up and gathered on the highest mountain to meet the sun and bow to their ancestors. When they returned, a party was going on, where all the youth were present. People believed that the more provocative this day was, the better and more fruitful the year would be.

It was believed that it was better to play a wedding on Fomino Sunday. Everyone who loves each other tried to get married these days, which lasted 7 days.

In our time, everything has changed and people began to commemorate the dead, relatives and friends, visiting the graves. And after the cemetery they arrange fun feasts with eggs and Easter cakes.

Even now, people believe that if they get married on this day, the newlyweds will live happily ever after.

By the way, the church does not hold weddings for Lent and Easter. But Krasnaya Gorka is the first day when the blessings for marriage begin. And 2020 will be no exception.

Do you know that there is such a tradition: eggs are dyed on Krasnaya Gorka, they gather on a hillock and roll eggs, so to speak. Whose egg rolls further, he will live happily all year. There are also many rituals and signs that are aimed at health and well-being.

Friends of all with great holidays!

Few Christians know why Easter is on different days. To understand this issue, you need to remember the history of the holiday and the basis for calculating its date. Statistics show that even experts on this topic cannot summarize its essence in a nutshell, so many important events are intertwined here.

Great Sunday is one of the most important Christian holidays, which is revered by millions of believers, which is why it is so important to know at least theoretically why Easter is at different times. After all, in today's world you don't have to worry about it. Church calendars are issued indicating the dates of all holidays, and the Internet also comes to the rescue, in which there are ready-made formulas (you just need to set the year for calculation or find the appropriate topic).

How is the holy day calculated?

The day of celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ falls on a new date every year. It is calculated using special formulas, some of whose data are variable. To calculate the date of Christ's day for one of them, you need to know:

Spring date when day equals night
The date of the full moon following the equinox
Day of the week on which Bright Sunday is celebrated

After reviewing many of the calculations used by scientists, there is no desire to try to calculate the date of the holiday, as they are complex and require certain knowledge, both in the field of mathematics and astronomy. Why does the date of Easter change?

Determining a date using a formula

A fairly simple formula, proposed by Carl Gauss in the early 19th century, contains only mathematical calculations. He did not give explanations for this calculation, but it can be used to determine the time of the holiday in any year.

Actions:

  1. The year (or rather its number) in which you need to find out the date of the Great Day is divided by 19. The remainder \u003d A
  2. Year number divided by 4 = B
  3. Year number divided by 7 = C
  4. (19 * A + 15) : 30 = number and remainder = D
  5. (2 * B + 4 * C + 6 * D + 6) : 7 = number. Remainder = E
  6. D+E<= 9, то Пасха будет в марте + 22 дня, если >, then in April: the resulting number is 9

Calculation example for 2014:

  1. 2014: 19 = 106, remainder = 0
  2. 2014: 4 = 603 rest 2
  3. 2014: 7 = 287 rest 5
  4. (19 * 0 + 15) : 30 = 0.5 remainder 15
  5. (2 * 2 + 4 * 5 + 6 * 15 + 6) : 7 = 17 remainder 1
  6. 15 + 1 \u003d 16 more than 9, which means the feast of Christ will be in April 16-9 \u003d 7, the correction for style + 13 days, which means April 20.

Sunday after full moon

The Orthodox Church uses the calculation, which was adopted in the third century. Easter is celebrated according to the rules of the Alexandrian Paschalia after the vernal equinox (March 21 old style and April 3 new) on the first Sunday after the full moon.

A bit of history

Many years have passed since Jesus Christ was crucified for human sins and resurrected. Since that time, Christ's day is celebrated annually on the fourteenth day of the first month of spring. According to the ancient lunar calendar, this event falls on the first day of the week, that is, Sunday. Before the conquest by Babylon, this month was called Aviv, and after the captivity - Nisan. The modern calendar has a clearly established framework for celebrating the resurrection of the Lord: this day can be between April 4 and May 8 in the new style (March 22 and April 25 in the old style).

The thing is that before there was no single chronology. One of the most ancient peoples - the Israelites, kept track of time by the lunar calendar, the Egyptians and Romans - by the sun.

Moon calendar: Main settings

12 months
Number of days in a month 29 or 30
Number of days in a year 354

Solar calendar: Main settings

12 months
Number of days in a month 30
Number of days in a year 365

It can be seen that the difference in days between the calendars was 11 days. To smooth over the discrepancy, the Jews added an additional month - the thirteenth (Ve-Adar) every few years. This happened in the year that is considered a leap year in the modern calendar. Some peoples believed that there were only 10 months (304 days) in a year, and the year began in March, and then the remaining January and February were added.

The implementation of two significant reforms has simplified the process of monitoring the passing days:

1. Caesar's reform - Julian calendar

The Roman emperor Gaius Julius Caesar decided to streamline the chronology in his territory. Thus, the new Julian calendar contained 365 days a year, and in a leap year - 366. But, despite this, the lunar calendar did not cease to exist and was carried out in parallel.

The reform was finally fixed for the entire Christian world in 325 at the council of bishops. It was then that the months of July and August were named after the emperors. The Julian calculus is used in the Orthodox Church.

2. Foundation of the Gregorian calendar

Nature has its own laws. The Julian calendar turned out to be imperfect: the spring equinox was coming, and on the calendar it was only March 11th. Again there was a need for reform. Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 founded the Gregorian calendar, according to which the year consisted of 365 days.

This is interesting:

The inhabitants of Rome and Egypt, who were guided by the solar calendar, had a different number of days in a year: 355 and 354.

The new time reckoning in Russia began to be used only 336 years after the reform. The Orthodox Church resisted accepting it, uprisings broke out, blood was shed.

The difference between the new and old styles is now 13 days. The initial difference of 10 days increased in each century by one day.

First, the Jewish Resurrection takes place, then the Catholic and Orthodox. Why this happens and why Easter cakes are baked for Easter can be found by looking into history.

Often the dates intersect: Jewish can coincide with Catholic, and Catholic with Orthodox. Jewish same with the Orthodox never intersect.

In Israel, the week starts on Sunday - this is the first working day. Saturday is a day off, and Friday is usually a shortened day.

During the existence of Alexandria, the day of Easter was calculated by the current bishop and reported to Rome so that the celebration took place on the same day. But gradually this tradition disappeared.

There was a time when Christians did not fool themselves with the calculation of the date of the Resurrection of the Lord and the question of why Easter is a passing holiday. They celebrated the holiday a week after the Jewish Passover.

Easter is the oldest and most important Christian holiday. It was established in honor of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ - the day that is the basis of all Christian teaching. As you know, it is celebrated on different dates every year. And this year we will celebrate it very early, namely on April 28.

Believers begin to prepare for this day for a long time. Immediately after the celebration of Maslenitsa, a strict fast follows, which many Christians adhere to. It was established in honor of the fact that the Savior was in the desert for 40 days, and was there all these days without food. This year, the fast will last from Monday, March 11 to April 27.

And on Christ's Sunday on April 28, a real holiday begins, for which various dishes are already included in the menu. And the main culinary attributes of this "celebration of celebrations" are Easter cakes and colored chicken eggs.

Not all people know the traditions and history of Easter. From today's article, you can learn more about this holiday, as well as how to prepare for and celebrate it.

Easter is traditionally celebrated on Sunday, however, the exact date varies every year, as it depends on the solar and lunar calendar. In addition, Christ's Sunday is celebrated on different days by Catholics and Orthodox people. In our country, Orthodox Easter in 2019 will be celebrated on April 28, and Catholics will celebrate it one week earlier.

It depends on the fact that the Orthodox use the Julian calendar and the Catholics use the Gregorian.


Due to the fact that the date changes every year, and not everyone knows how to calculate it, many simply turn to the church calendar, or look for it on the Internet.

Regardless of the fact that Christ's Sunday is celebrated on a different day each year, there is a strict count and some rules. First of all, it should be noted that Easter necessarily falls on Sunday, on this day Jesus was resurrected. But among the Orthodox, it cannot come earlier than among the Jews. And a week later than the Catholics.

And how this date is determined, we will understand below.

How is the date of the Sunday holiday determined?

The Gospel says that they crucified Jesus on Friday, after the Last Supper and after sunset. Therefore, the holiday is usually celebrated a week after the full moon, which follows the equinoctial spring day on March 21.

This day is calculated in accordance with the movement of the Earth around the Sun, and the changes of the Moon are also taken into account. In 325, at the First Ecumenical Church Council, this rule was approved, which is observed to this day.


That is, for the correct calculation of the desired day, we must take into account:

  • the fact that the celebration always falls on Sunday
  • the movement of our planet around the sun in accordance with the solar calendar
  • the movement of the moon around the earth according to the lunar calendar

And if the full moon occurs before the date of March 21, then the subsequent phase of the moon is taken into account. If the pre-holiday full moon falls on a Sunday, then the date of Easter will fall on the following Sunday.

But you should know that the great Orthodox holiday is not celebrated earlier than April 4 and later than May 8.

There is a mathematical method for calculating this day. And everyone can use it if they wish, by finding the appropriate material on the Internet. An ordinary person does not need to know these formulas. After all, you can always find out what date Easter will be in the current year and without it.

A bit of history: what is Easter, the origins of its occurrence

Not everyone knows that people celebrated this holiday in the times of paganism 5,000 years ago. But then on this day there was only one of its meanings - they commemorated deceased relatives. It was believed that they leave the kingdom of heaven for a while, and come to earth to visit their own graves. That is why people brought various treats to the cemetery. And spent a lot of time there.

Also in those days, an animal was sacrificed to God on this day, so that in the coming year everyone would be alive, healthy and live in abundance and prosperity.

The word “Passover” known to us comes from the Hebrew word “Pesach” or “Passover”, which means “to pass by, or pass by”. It came from ancient Egypt. In those days, Jews lived on its territory, but were subject to persecution. For sins, “10 plagues of Egypt” were sent to Egypt, among the last, all the first-born boys were killed, except for Jewish babies. Death “passed” them, because a special sign was painted on their houses.


As a result of this tragic event, the pharaoh released all the Jews from slavery. The biblical Moses gathered his people and brought them out of the land of Egypt to their homeland in Canaan. This story is told in the Old Testament.

In the "New Testament" we have already been given another story, about which, perhaps, everyone knows.

On the eve of Passover, three prisoners, including Jesus, were sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate, namely crucifixion. According to the tradition of the holiday, one of the prisoners could be pardoned. And the crowd could choose - it chose Barabbas.

Christ was crucified, then removed from the cross and placed in the tomb, blocking the entrance with a large stone. On the third day after the burial of Jesus, girls came to the cave to offer him incense. But they met an angel there, who told them that Christ had risen. On the way back they met him and bowed at their feet.


And after the resurrection of Christ, the holiday acquired a different meaning.

Since that time, it is customary to rejoice at this event, as the triumph of life over death. There are no sacrifices on this day, since Jesus himself sacrificed himself on this day.

The church also tells us that it is not customary to visit the graves of the dead on this day. However, the tradition that has developed over the centuries has taken root, and some people even today visit the cemetery on Christ's Sunday. And they still carry and lay out various treats on the graves. These are mainly colored eggs, sweets, Easter cakes and other pastries.

The main traditions of the holiday

Easter is celebrated even by non-believers, and they try to adhere to the traditions that have come down to us from ancient times. Everyone wants their special Sunday to be memorable.


The whole week before the Great Holiday is called Passion or Paschal Week. Despite the fact that every day of this week is considered Bright, the most strict fast is prescribed on these days. Just like on all other days of Great Lent, a person needs to purify not only his body, but also his spirit. Therefore, during the period of refusal of certain products, it is recommended to attend church more often and pray.

In the last week before the holiday, they cleaned the whole house. Washed everything that can be washed, cleaned where it was required. They sorted through the dishes in the cabinets, and also washed them to a shine. They whitewashed the ceilings in the kitchen and rooms. In general, they put things in perfect order. Now this tradition is no longer so fulfilled, but the older generation adheres to it to this day.


And the most active day in preparation for the Bright Holiday was Clean Thursday (this year on April 5). They got up at dawn, bathed in order to cleanse themselves of all the sins that had accumulated over the past year. Then they went to church to confess and take communion.

Then they went home, tidied up already in clean rooms, directing the last necessary touches. Then they started, and. After all, according to tradition, they were the main symbols of the spring holiday.


This work took up most of the day. They usually baked a lot, because according to tradition, pastries were distributed to all their relatives and friends. So there was enough work. In addition to kneading the dough, it had to infuse, rise, then the treat had to be baked and decorated.

They also prepared food. They discussed what they would cook. These dishes included mainly various pies, which were especially famous. And they also cooked a lot of different meat dishes. But it was already prepared on Saturday, just before the holiday itself.

Also on Saturday evening we went to church to bless eggs and Easter cakes. The festive liturgy lasted quite a long time, already after midnight. Accompanied by prayers, chants, procession. After the liturgy, people congratulated each other, "Christened" and kissed three times. Then they sanctified what they brought.


The next day it was necessary to put dishes on the table. The first meal should begin with them. The largest Easter cake was placed at the head of the table, decorated with brightly colored eggs. By tradition, he was eaten last.

If you adhered to the fast, which began immediately after Maslenitsa, then on Easter Sunday it is not recommended to lean on an abundance of delicious foods, otherwise, you can harm your health. To the usual diet you need to move gradually.

To this day, on Sunday, people meet each other with the phrase “Christ is risen!”, Repeating it three times, and in response they receive “Truly risen!” Three times, after which they kiss three times. Such a tradition is only among the Slavs - among Orthodox Christians. Other nations do not use this tradition.


Everyone must be in a good mood at the table and throughout the day. A holiday is a holiday! It is impossible to be sad and sad on this day.

There is one interesting fun: two people take an egg in their hands and beat them against each other. The winner is the one whose egg turned out to be stronger. This fun has also grown into a tradition, and is used with great pleasure by both adults and children.

During the holidays, they visit each other. “Christossesses”, handing out Easter cakes and colored eggs. They also do not offend the needy, share food and good wishes with them.

How they celebrated in the old days

Easter has been celebrated for many centuries, but not all modern people know how this day passed in ancient times. In the old days, Christians strictly followed customs. The day before, the hostess carried out a general cleaning of her home. If possible, all possible things were carried out so that during the whole week they would not be distracted by the daily hustle and bustle.


In addition to the rituals described in the last chapter, in the old days, they always went out on Sunday morning to glorify the Sun. Usually on this day it was amazing. His play and glow delighted, and therefore the whole village was going to look at this natural phenomenon.

Then they treated each other with colored eggs and congratulated on the holiday, kissed three times. We went to visit each other and continued to celebrate already at a table filled with treats.


They also made a fire and burned unnecessary things in it. The children tried to do it before others. It was believed that whoever was the first to throw an old thing into the flame would be the most successful for the whole next year.

Eggs were beaten in the old days, but they did not use the consecrated "crayons" for this. They could beat just boiled eggs, even without coloring them. But even the shells were saved from the dyed consecrated eggs. Then they pushed it, and poured it into the feed of livestock in order to protect it from illness and spoilage.


Also, with their help, they treated diseases, rolled them out on grain for crops, or simply buried them in grain. Several eggs were kept in the house until the next year, in order to avert trouble from him in case of misfortune.

Be sure to go to the cemetery, carry treats to share it with departed relatives. Went with the whole family, with small children and the elderly. They commemorated their ancestors there, drinking a glass of strong and eating a painted egg.

And on Easter there were always fun festivities, with songs and dances, just like on Maslenitsa. The people rejoiced and celebrated.


They also played games with eggs. The game involved young people who rolled them on a slightly inclined surface set on a table. At the very end of the slope, a blanket was laid, where the eggs would roll. Whose egg rolled the slowest, he won. He could take all the eggs for himself.

How is the holiday celebrated today?

Everyone knows that Easter is celebrated after Lent. Today, people try to adhere to accepted customs. And the Old Believers try to observe all the traditions that have survived to this day.


Of course, most people know how to prepare and celebrate Christ's Sunday. But these rules are not strictly followed. However, on Thursday they try to do a general cleaning. Due to the lack of free time, Easter cakes are not always baked, but bought in a store. Although homemade cakes are much tastier.

But eggs are painted independently in almost every family. For this you can use . You can also buy special stickers for eggs, which are sold in sets in almost any store on the eve of the festival.


Well, of course, on Sunday people are greeted with the words “Christ is risen!” and in response they hear "Truly risen."

What is served on the Bright Resurrection of Christ

On a holiday, housewives try to cook as many different dishes as possible. After all, every guest should remain full after visiting the house. But the main products on the table should be, (prepared according to different recipes), and, of course, colored eggs.


In the presence of free time and culinary experience, the hostesses prepare meat dishes, fresh salads, fish dishes. There should also be an abundance of pickles and homemade liquor on the festive table, but alcohol should not be abused on a holiday, however, as on other days.

Just as fasting lasted 40 days, the entire Paschal period also lasts until the very feast of the Ascension of the Lord. This year, this church holiday falls on June 6th. And the very first week is called "Red Hill".

And above all, this holiday personifies rebirth, light, life, renewal. It gives you the opportunity to pay attention to loved ones and pay tribute to the departed ancestors! Therefore, the holiday is really bright and very joyful!

Happy Easter everyone!!! Peace, happiness and goodness to you!