Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Problems with Using Different Systems: Calculating Easter

Today is Ash Wednesday, the day when millions of folks who follow the Roman Catholic calculation for Easter begin Great Lent, the most solemn and holy season of the year, which leads to the Paschal celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Eh? Follow the Roman Catholic calculation? Indeed. The different (and differing) dates for the calculation of Easter (more properly called, Pascha (Πάσχα), but more about that later) among Christians has nothing to do with dogma or belief. Rather, it has to do with using different systems to calculate the date. Perhaps a bit of background is in order.

In 2013, Roman Catholics, the Anglican Communion, and Protestants, which we can (somewhat casually) collectively refer to as Western Christianity or the West, begin Great Lent on Wednesday, February 13 and celebrate Easter on March 31. Lent encompasses the 46 days beginning with Ash Wednesday through the day before Easter, Holy Saturday.

For Orthodox Christians and Eastern Catholics, which we shall collectively call Eastern Christianity or the East, Pascha falls much later in 2013, on May 5. Pure Monday begins Great Lent, March 18 in 2013. Thus, Lent before Pascha encompasses the 48 days beginning with Pure Monday through Great and Holy Saturday.

Why are Pascha and Easter calculated differently?

Pascha / Easter is observed on the first Sunday after the paschal full moon that occurs on or follows the vernal equinox. So why the difference?

The West fixed the date of the vernal equinox on March 21 and regards the full moon as the 14th day of the lunar month (which begins with a new moon). The date of Easter is calculated based upon this fixed date and ecclesiastical (rather than astronomical) full moon. These fixed dates make the calculation of future ecclesiastical dates easier.

The East uses the older, Julian, calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar to calculate the date of Pascha. So right off the bat, the March 21 (Julian) date occurs on April 3 (in the Gregorian calendar we use today). Furthermore, Eastern Christianity also uses the actual, astronomical full moon and the actual equinox as observed along the meridian of Jerusalem, site of the Crucifixion and Resurrection, to calculate the date of Pascha (hence, the moveable ecclesiastical dates).

Got it? Most of us who live in countries that have both Eastern and Western dates for the Feast of the Resurrection simply rely on looking up the dates. In my family, where all of my siblings and cousins are Western Christians, I am clear to differentiate between "my" Easter and Western Easter. For my kids, we generally celebrated both: Western Easter with bunnies and egg-rolling contests and public activities for children; Pascha with church and a Paschal feast and cracking red eggs to "Christ is risen!" And, of course, because Pascha often is later than Easter, we got discounted candy.

But what about that long fast?

Ah yes. Great Lent is actually 40 days, not the 46 that it appears to be in the West or the 48 it appears to be in the East. How is that? Again, calculations are the culprit.

For Eastern Christianity, Great Lent is the 40 days beginning with Pure Monday (March 18, 2013) through the Friday before Palm Sunday on April 26. Great Lent is actually over at that point. Then we observe the fast (lent) of Lazarus Saturday and the feast of Palm Sunday. Then we enter the fast (lent) of Great and Holy Week, the Monday through Saturday before Pascha. So even though it may appear that we fast during Great Lent for 48 days, Great Lent itself is only 40 days. We fast for 7 more days (Lazarus Saturday and Holy Week) after Great Lent ends. We also prepare for Great Lent by fasting from meat the week before Great Lent begins (saying "farewell" to meat on Meatfare Sunday). Thus, we fast for more than 40 days leading up to Pascha, but Great Lent itself is 40 calendar days.

In the West, Great Lent begins with Ash Wednesday (February 13 in 2013) through Holy Saturday (March 30). Although Lent encompasses 46 days, actual Great Lent is only 40 days, as the 6 Sundays included within those dates are not part of Lent. (The RC Church, in the General Norms of the 1969 Novus Ordo, changed Lent to end on Holy Thursday, but that's a topic for a different discussion.)

Why not have the same date?

It seems to me that the difference in calculations, and thus, dates, is what Borgna Brunner refers to as "a technical skirmish." A WCC proposal in 1997 was for all Christians to use the same calculations, using modern methods to accurately determine the equinox and the paschal full moon and using the meridian of Jerusalem as the point of reference. The proposal has not progressed since that meeting. Sometimes, a mere change of focus can help. Perhaps with new leaders (Orthodox Christians have a new Patriarch of Antioch and Roman Catholic Christians soon will have a new Pope of Rome), administrative leaders of Christians throughout the world can agree upon a calculation that results in a common date for Pascha for all Christians. And from there, who knows what reconciliations could occur?

And Ash Wednesday?

The day of ashes (dies cinerum) custom dates from at least the 8th century as a reminder: "Remember man that thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return." According to 11th century Roman Catholic homilist, Ælfric, "we strew ashes upon our heads to signify that we ought to repent of our sins during the Lenten fast."

The Ash Wednesday services have always been a bit of a mystery to me, but the public acknowledgement of our own sins and the need for repentance is a powerful sentiment. We all could do a bit more in that area.

Blessings to all on Ash Wednesday, and particularly to my friends who observe this holy day.

Sources:

By Cheri Mullins at 12:02 PM

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