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Each weekday Marshall Brain answers questions submitted by the readers of How Stuff Works in the Question of the Day section of HSW. You can also view previously answered questions in the HSW Question Archive. Here is today's question!

Question

How do they determine what day Easter will occur on? It always seems to be different every year.

Answer

According to the English book of Common Prayer, "Easter Day is the first Sunday after the full moon which happens upon, or next after the 21st day of March; and if the full moon happens upon a Sunday, Easter Day is the Sunday after."

Why such an odd definition? March 21 is the vernal equinox - the day on which the length of daylight equals the length of darkness as the days are lengthening in the Spring. The traditional Jewish calendar is based off of moon phases, which is how the phase of the moon enter into the definition.


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