When Is Easter 2016? Dates for Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday
Christians all over the world are now gearing up for Easter 2016 because this is one of the most important occasions for them, but many people do not know when it will fall this year and why the dates are moveable.
At any given year, the Easter can fall from any date between Mar. 22 and April 25. For this year, Mar. 27 will mark the Easter Sunday, The Huffington Post reports.
Originally, Easter was connected with the Passover celebration, which is scheduled according to the lunar cycle. The first apostles were Jewish, and it was recorded that Jesus Christ died after Passover, and Easter comes shortly after that feast.
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Easter is a Christian celebration of Jesus Christ's resurrection. Based on the New Testament, he died on Good Friday and came back to life after three days, which is on Easter Sunday. The day is also the end of the 40-day Lent, which starts on Ash Wednesday, the Telegraph explains.
Maundy Thursday, on the other hand, is a commemoration of Jesus Christ's Last Supper with his Apostles, the report adds.
Because Easter Sunday 2016 falls on Mar. 27, Good Friday will be on Mar. 25 and Easter Monday is on Mar. 28.
The Easter is almost always associated with the colorful Easter egg nowadays. The egg represents new life, as Jesus Christ began his new life on Easter Sunday. Cracking open an egg is a form of commemoration of his empty tomb.
As for the Easter Bunny, this tradition comes from the association of rabbits and hares with the spring season. In addition, it is believed that Eostre, the Ango-Saxon Goddess of Spring, had a hare as a companion and the animal symbolized fertility and rebirth. Over time, the bunnies have been incorporated into Easter celebrations and first became known in Britain in the 19th century.
In the ancient times, Christians did not have a uniform Easter schedule. There were those who celebrated the occasion after Passover, and the others did so on the first Sunday after the feast.
In 325 CE, the Council of Nicea came up with a mathematical formula that can be used to come up with a standard Easter date. After that, Easter Sunday has been scheduled on the first Sunday after the spring's first full moon, or the Paschal (Passover) Full Moon.
