When is Easter 2018 and why does the date of Easter change every year? How do we determine the date of Easter?
Easter is a “movable feast” and does not have a fixed date; however, it is always on a Sunday.
 | HOW IS THE DATE OF EASTER DETERMINED? Would you believe that the date of Easter is related to the full Moon? Specifically, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full Moon that occurs on or just after the vernal equinox. This full Moon is referred to as the “paschal full Moon." |
For simplicity’s sake, the Church has set a fixed date for the equinox, March 21, though astronomically, the vernal equinox may also occur on the 20th. The paschal full Moon always falls on the 14th day of a lunar month; because ancient calculations (made in a.d. 325) did not take into account certain lunar motions, it may differ slightly from the actual full Moon date.
Easter always falls on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25.
Eastern Orthodox Church
Certain Christian churches, such as many Eastern Orthodox churches, follow the Julian calendar rather than the Gregorian, either for movable feasts or for all religious observances. In this case, the observance of Easter can occur between April 4 and May 8.
What is the Golden number?
Readers often ask us about the Golden Number, which was traditionally used in calculations for determining the date of Easter. The Moon repeats the dates of its phases approximately every 19 years (the Metonic cycle), and the Golden Number represents a year in that cycle. The year of the cycle can then be used to determine the date of Easter.
To Calculate the Golden Number:
Add 1 to any given year and divide the result by 19, ensuring that you calculate to the nearest whole number; the remainder is the Golden Number. If there is no remainder, the Golden Number is 19.
For example, to calculate the Golden Number for 2018, we take 2018 and add 1, resulting in 2019, then divide it evenly by 19, giving us 106 with a remainder of 5. Therefore, the Golden Number for 2018 is 5, meaning 2018 is the 5th year of the Metonic cycle.
SOURCE: Almanac.com
Easter always falls on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25.
Eastern Orthodox Church
Certain Christian churches, such as many Eastern Orthodox churches, follow the Julian calendar rather than the Gregorian, either for movable feasts or for all religious observances. In this case, the observance of Easter can occur between April 4 and May 8.
What is the Golden number?
Readers often ask us about the Golden Number, which was traditionally used in calculations for determining the date of Easter. The Moon repeats the dates of its phases approximately every 19 years (the Metonic cycle), and the Golden Number represents a year in that cycle. The year of the cycle can then be used to determine the date of Easter.
To Calculate the Golden Number:
Add 1 to any given year and divide the result by 19, ensuring that you calculate to the nearest whole number; the remainder is the Golden Number. If there is no remainder, the Golden Number is 19.
For example, to calculate the Golden Number for 2018, we take 2018 and add 1, resulting in 2019, then divide it evenly by 19, giving us 106 with a remainder of 5. Therefore, the Golden Number for 2018 is 5, meaning 2018 is the 5th year of the Metonic cycle.
SOURCE: Almanac.com
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