Before I explain how we calculate the date for Pascha, first let me once again remind everyone the theologically correct name of the feast. For the Orthodox, “Pascha” is the word used to describe the resurrection of our Lord. The word derives from the Hebrew word used for Passover. As described in the Old Testament, a young lamb was killed and its blood placed on the door mantle to protect the first born so death would pass-over their household. In the New Testament, Christ is the sacrificial lamb that is put to death on the cross for our sins. Thus, He dies for us and offers us eternal life, with eternal death passing over us.

In the early church it was customary to Christianize pagan feasts. The word Easter is derived form the pagan god of fertility, Ester, that was commemorated in the springtime. Thus, in the west, fertility and new life was associated with Ester. Therefore, the word Easter (Ester) was used in the West to combat the pagan feast. For me, the correct and more theologically correct term for the resurrection of our Lord is “Pascha.”

This is the time of the year, the most often asked question is brought forth. Why the resurrection of our Lord, Pasha, has two different dates, that of the West and that of the East? There is a simple prescription by which the early Church gives us to calculate the date of the resurrection. This prescription was thoroughly thought out by the First Ecumenical Council in 325 AD.

The Prescription from the Council states: that Pascha must fall on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the Spring Equinox (March 21). Both East and West calculate the date of Pasha using this formula. However, The Eastern Orthodox Churches, still follow the second part of the prescription, that Pascha must always fall AFTER the Jewish Passover. This preserves the biblical sequence of the death, Crucifixion and the Resurrection of the Lord. Thus, Holy Pasha must always follow the, the Hebrew Passover.

Because of the Jewish Passover and the Julian (Old Style) Calendar are used by the Orthodox to calculate the Spring equinox, there is a difference of about thirteen days from the Gregorian Calendar used today in the West. The date of Pascha in the Orthodox and that of the Western Churches usually do not coincide due to the use of two different calendars.

With the use of the new calendar in the West, the Western Pasha sometimes precedes the Jewish Passover. However, with the Orthodox method, this may never occur, thus following the biblical sequence of events.

I pray we all have a blessed and fruitful Resurrection.

Fr. Andrew