How Is The Date Of Easter Determined?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but it falls on a different date every year.
This year the date is April 17. Last year it was March 27, and next year it's slated for April 1.
The different dates got Julie from Bemidji wondering: How is the date of Easter determined?
Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal of springtime equinox.
In astronomical terms, the spring equinox is March 21, so Easter can fall anywhere from March 22 to April 25.
Back in the 325 A.D., the First Council of Nicaea convened by the Roman Emperor Constantine determined the date. The significance of the full moon is because that was Passover in the Jewish calendar, when Jesus is believed to have celebrated his Last Supper. It's always on a Sunday, because that was the day of the Resurrection.