A couple of days ago, ns sat down v an old friend for a cup the coffee. We exchanged the usual “How are you?” and “What have you been up to?” prior to she inquiry me about my plans because that the coming holiday.

You are watching: Why is easter in march 2016

“Are girlfriend going back to Saskatoon because that Easter next weekend?”

“Next weekend?!” ns echoed loudly across the table. “Easter isn’t till April.”

Apparently, the reality that Easter Sunday falls on in march 27 this year wasn’t shocking just to me. Plenty of friends and also co-workers room equally perplexed as to why the vacation is reserved so early this year. And also while there is one explanation, it’s no as amazing as you could have hoped.


Easter celebrate the resurrection that Jesus Christ after his crucifixion. Maundy Thursday, or holy Thursday, is the Christian feast falling on the Thursday before Easter and also commemorates the last supper that Jesus Christ with the apostles. Christians think that Jesus to be crucified the following day on an excellent Friday and also rose again 3 days later.

Unlike many days in the Christian calendar, Easter go not have actually a addressed date. The regular Gregorian or Julian calendars monitor the bike of the sun, however Easter is established by the lunar calendars, which complies with the phases of the moon. Since of this, Easter is scheduled to fall on the very first Sunday after ~ the first full moon after the spring equinox (basically a fancy method of saying first day that spring), which occurs about March 20. This method that the day will always fall in between March 22 and also April 25.

*
*

The earliest day Easter can ever before fall on is in march 22, which happened in 1761 and 1818, however won’t happen again till 2285. The most usual date it falls on is April 19th.

According come Independent, both governments and churches have actually tried in the previous to agree on a resolved date. Secularists have suggested that Easter should loss on the 2nd Sunday that April every year. Yet even if we could agree ~ above a date, implementing it would certainly be an additional matter.

In 1928, an Easter Act was passed in the UK to create Easter Sunday as the Sunday adhering to the second Saturday in April, but even despite the act was passed, it has actually never to be enforced.

See more: What Is John Steinbeck’S Purpose In Writing The Essay &Quot;Symptoms&Quot;?

After this year, the following Easter to take place in the month of March won’t be till March 31, 2024.