What day is Resurrection Sunday (Easter)? And how is it determined?

You have probably noticed that the date for Resurrection Sunday (“Easter”) varies considerably from one year to the next. This chosen date comes from a formula established by Roman Emperor Constantine the Great and the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. You can use the formula to verify the date for Resurrection Sunday each year.

First, find the vernal equinox, or first day of spring (about March 21-22), on a calendar that lists basic astronomical data. Then look for the next full moon, usually indicated in a corner box of the calendar. Resurrection Sunday will then fall on the following Sunday.

According to this rule, the latest possible date for Resurrection Sunday is April 25, next occurring in 2038. The earliest is March 22, in 2285. Most often, Resurrection Sunday comes during the first week of April.

For merchants, the changing date of Easter is inconvenient for their annual planning of sales and inventory. However, it is pleasing to realize that this special day is not determined by commerce but by the movements of the sun and moon. This agrees with the divinely ordained purpose of heavenly lights as markers for times and seasons (Gen. 1:14).

Author: Dr. Donald B. DeYoung—adapted from Astronomy and the Bible: Questions and Answers, 2nd Edition (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2000, 2010), 176 pp.

Discover more about…

• Why do we celebrate Easter? Answer
• The story of the resurrection—God’s Story: From Creation to Eternity
• Easter—WebBible Encyclopedia
• Is Easter mentioned in the Bible? Answer
• Learn about the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ
• About the Passover—what is it and why?
• About JESUS CHRIST—Answers to frequently-asked-questions
• How did Jesus Christ die? Answer
• Is Jesus Christ just a legend? Answer
• MIRACLES—Has science disproved the miracles associated with Jesus Christ? Answer
• ARCHAEOLOGY—Have any burial sites been found for the people involved in Christ’s life and death? Answer
• Who is Mary, mother of Jesus?
• How do we know the Bible is true? Answer
• How can the Bible be infallible if it was written by fallible humans? Answer
• About Truth
• What is the Word of God?
• Is Jesus Christ a man, or is he God? Answer
• If Jesus is God, how could he die? If Jesus died on the cross, then how can he be alive today? Answer
• Was Jesus Christ God, manifest in human form? Answer
• Is Jesus Christ really God? Answer
• If Jesus was the Son of God, why did He call Himself the Son of Man? Answer
• TRINITY—How can one God be three persons? Answer
• JESUS’ CHARACTER—Is Christ’s character consistent with his high claims? Answer

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